Re: kennings

[Chris Bogart <cbogart@QUETZAL.COM>]

Of the examples so far given here of the binary metaphors used in =
kennings, some of them appear to me to work as straight lojban tanru =
without figurative markers:

battle =3D din of spears/ grexa'i savru  (not exactly the same thing, =
but in many contexts they could
                                    be used interchangeably, since a real norse battle probably
                                    was accompanied by actual noise of actual spears; i.e. {ca lenu
                                    grexa'i savru}  =3D "during the battle")

sea =3D whale's road / xasmabru dargu  (whales use the sea to get from =
x2 to x3 via route x4)

sword =3D flame of battle / jamna fagri   (I guess this one is really =
metaphor)

ship =3D steed of the waves / boxna ma'erda'u  (This one too -- a steed =
has to be an animal, if not a horse)

So obviously, to do literal translation of kennings generally, one would =
definitely need metaphor markers, or at least {le}.  But it would still =
be interesting to stretch the limits of unmarked tanru in lojban, using =
apparently metaphorical word choices that still happen to be logically =
true.  For example a more lojbanic jbokenning of ship might be {boxna =
katna} (wave cutter), and for sword, maybe {jamna minra} (war mirror). =20

Although while taken out of context these "veridicial metaphors" could =
refer to other things, they refer to an interesting and predictable set =
of other things -- a sword is a reflective thing associated with war, =
but so is a pool of blood, the backside of a medal, the eyes of a =
witness, even an armored vehicle with bullets bouncing off it.  With the =
metaphor markers turned on, a phrase really could mean anything; it's =
not limited in such a concrete way.  I think non-metaphorical, even =
veridicial, tanru could lend themselves to a type of poetic expression =
that is tied to reality in a significant way without being coldly =
logical.

co'o mi'e kris