Tiriyó body part terms

This article describes words for parts of the body in the Tiriyó language. First, the formal side is considered. Several formal parameters (morphological complexity, possession classes, incorporation in verbs and in adjectives) are compared. Then the semantic side is examined on the basis of (a) textual data, (b) speakers’ reactions to questions involving part–whole relationships, and (c) speakers’ mapping of body part terms onto pictures of the human body with coloured pens. From the part–whole data, a preliminary partonomic hierarchy is proposed. The meanings of the terms are reviewed, with attention drawn to the most interesting cases. The conclusion briefly summarises the most striking results.