EL FIN DEL VIAJE

4.3.9.1 Some comment was made above on some shared features of the domains of Cl 1 to1- "human" and Cl 2 na1- "nonhuman", to justify the common

superordinate property of "animate" which is suggested for each in the tree diagram of Figure IV.49 I make here a similar comment on the "shared ground" between the domains of Cl 3 kai- "rigid/long", Cl 4 ya-

"flexible/thin" and Cl 5 kwai- "thing", together with some observations on their complementary

functions; intending thus to offer a justification for the superordinate node of "inanimate" which has been proposed for them in Figure IV.

4.3.9.2 There is no single domain which separates the vegetable world into a classification of its own. Malinowski has suggested that in fact the classifier

kai- has this roley59 but this is far from being the case. We have seen above that the domain of Cl 3 kai- "rigid/long" includes all rigid vegetable life forms which are extended or long, as trees, bamboo, bushes,

etc. The domain of Cl 4 ya- "flexible/thin" includes all vegetable life which is flexible, either long and thin as vines and tendrils, or thin and extended in two dimensions as leaves. The domain of Cl 5 kwai- also specifies some forms of vegetable life, as seeds, and some mature vegetable produce of the garden. It has been noted that a seed (referrable by the deictic maK.WA.Ina) may by entering a growing state be

4 9 5 o

See p 101 above, and diagram on p 86. Malinowski, 1920:47

reclassified as flexible (miYAna), and later when the growth has matured may be reclassified as rigid

(maKAIna) . 51 Also, an unknown item may start with kwai- specification, and be precisely placed when

perceptually identified as to its physical components.^ I should add to this also the comment that the initial specification of Cl 5 kwai- "thing" usually indicates that an initial decision has been made that the item is not in fact an animate one.

4.3.9.3 A third consideration has reference to the property specification of these three classifiers. In the case of Cl 3 kai- "rigid/long" and Cl 4 ya-

"flexible/thin", each has a property of consistency (rigid, flexible) stated first, and a property based on shape (long, thin) stated second. In each case the type of consistency stated is one which is qualified by one type of shape; so that the pair of features, consistency-shape, for both kai- and ya- need to be applied together. Thus kai- and ya- are semantically compounds of the two physical properties; however the physical property of consistency, which is first in order, is to be understood as the primary one.

An examination of the items specified by Cl 5 kwai-, (which has been glossed as "thing", and also (on pll3) as "properties other than the first four Basic Property Specifiers"), shows that consistency is the basic or primary specification of this Basic Property Specifier; in that kwai- may specify items that are "rigid/other than long", flexible/other than thin", and "not specifiable in terms of rigid or flexible consistency". These three classifiers are complementary in their specification of consistency of inanimate items.

See p 115 above. See p 115 above.

4.3.9.4 Some comments about the secondary specifications of these three classifiers also reveal the complementary nature of their specifi­ cation. First, when they specify shape, Cl 3 kai­ ls primarily interested in items extended in one dimension, as the house post, spear, iron pipe, stal­ actite, concrete fence post, etc. It may also

specify things extended in two dimensions, as the flat assembly of a house gable, or a flat wooden platter. Cl 4 ya- specifies both one-dimensional and two-dimensional extended items, as rope, wire, creeper tendril, also leaf or bark of tree, (if

flexible), woven material, dried mat-making grasses; and it may specify some three-dimensional items as gourds, coconuts, and soft mature fruits that are large and round. Cl 5 kwai- generally specifies

three-dimensional items, as stones, vegetable produce, the whole of a house; also some one-dimensional items as the shell necklace, or two-dimensional items as mats and rain-capes.

Another secondary specification of these three classifiers may be expressed in terms of their specification of simple or complex items which have been manufactured. Both Cl 3 kai- and Cl 4 ya-

specify simple items; kai- specifies rigid/simple manufactured items, as a bowl, comb, canoe, the gable

structure of a house, a fishing torch made from coconut leaves. (The element of tangential connection is seen here, as complex things as an ocean liner or a jet plane are also specified by kai- because of their

connection with a canoe and transport.) Ya- specifies flexible/simple manufactured items, as a garment,

sheet of paper, rope, gourd, or water bottle. How­ ever Cl 5 kwai- specifies manufactured items without regard for their rigidity or flexibility, but which are complex, as the soulava shell necklace, woven and

sewn mats, an iron chain, a whole house. The

feature of complexity is a complexity which is per­ ceptually clear, or culturally determined; thus all the parts of the shell necklace would be appreciated in terms of the complex manufacturing processes known to be involved, whereas an aeroplane would seem to be a simple vehicle and so its connection with and

specification as a canoe (ie by Cl 3 kai-) would be natural.

4.3.9.5 Thus the complementary functions of the three classifiers Cl 3 kai- "rigid/long", Cl 4 ya- "flexible/thin" and Cl 5 kwai- "thing" are shown in their primary consistency specifications, and in their secondary specifications of shape and of complexity. The fact that none of these is applied to the animate items specified by Cl 1 to1- "human" and Cl 2 nal- "nonhuman" (except as metaphors) indicates that the five Basic Property Specifiers form two large semantic domains; one is marked by perceptually-determined

physical properties of consistency, shape and com­ plexity, which I have labelled "inanimate", and the other which is not marked for consistency, shape or complexity which I have labelled "animate".