5.15. Some types of symmetrical tanru

This section deals with symmetrical tanru, where order is not important. Many of these tanru can be expressed with a logical or non-logical connective between the components.

The tanru may refer to things which are correctly specified by both tanru components. Some of these instances may also be seen as asymmetrical tanru where the seltau specifies a material. The connective je is appropriate:

Table 5.50. Example tanru

cipnrstrigi pacru'i owl demon Sanskrit
nolraitru prije royal sage Sanskrit
remna nakni human-being male Qabardian man
remna fetsi human-being female Qabardian woman
sonci tolvri soldier coward Quechua
panzi nanmu offspring man Ewe son
panzi ninmu offspring woman Ewe daughter
solji sicni gold coin Turkish
solji junla gold watch Turkish,Korean,Hungarian
solji djine gold ring Udmurt,Abazin,Quechua
rokci zdani stone house Imbabura Quechua
mudri zdani wooden house Ewe
rokci bitmu stone wall Ewe
solji carce gold chariot Sanskrit
mudri xarci wooden weapon Sanskrit
zdani tcadu home town Chinese

Table 5.51. Mini-Glossary

cipnrstrigi

fu'ivla for owl based on Linnean name

pacru'i

evil-spirit

tolvri

opposite-of-brave


The tanru may refer to all things which are specified by either of the tanru components. The connective ja is appropriate:

Table 5.52. Example tanru

nunji'a nunterji'a victory defeat Sanskrit victory or defeat
donri nicte day night Sanskrit day and night
lunra tarci moon stars Sanskrit moon and stars
patfu mamta father mother Imbabura Quechua,Kazakh,Chinese parents
tuple birka leg arm Kazakh extremity
nuncti nunpinxe eating drinking Udmurt cuisine
bersa tixnu son daughter Chinese children

Table 5.53. Mini-Glossary

nunji'a

event-of-winning

nunterji'a

event-of-losing

nuncti

event-of-eating

nunpinxe

event-of-drinking


Alternatively, the tanru may refer to things which are specified by either of the tanru components or by some more inclusive class of things which the components typify:

Table 5.54. Example tanru

curnu jalra worm beetle Mongolian insect
jalra curnu beetle worm Mongolian insect
kabri palta cup plate Kazakh crockery
jipci gunse hen goose Qabardian housefowl
xrula tricu flower tree Chinese vegetation

The tanru components specify crucial or typical parts of the referent of the tanru as a whole:

Table 5.55. Example tanru

tumla vacri land air Finnish world
moklu stedu mouth head Abazin face
sudysrasu cunmi hay millet Qabardian agriculture
gugde ciste state system Mongolian politics
prenu so'imei people multitude Mongolian masses
djacu dertu water earth Chinese climate

Table 5.56. Mini-Glossary

sudysrasu

dry-grass

so'imei

manysome