Ethnobiological ClassificationEthnobiological Classification PRINCIPLES OF CATEGORIZATION OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS IN TRADITIONAL SOCIETIES Brent Berlin PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS PRINCETON, NEW JERSEYCopyright © 1992 by Princeton University Press Published by Princeton University Press, 41 Wiliam Stet, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 Inthe United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, Oxford ‘AlVRights Reserved Library of Congress Cotaloging-in Publiotin Data Bertin, Brent EthnobiologicalclassScaion: principles of eategorization of plants and animals in radon societies Brent Retin Pom. Tnchdes bibliographical references and indexes. 1 Folk elassiation Cross-cultural studies 2, Ethozoology. 3. Ethnobotany. I. Tie GNG68.4.B47 1992 574.6'1—de20_91-25245 ISBN 0.691-09460-1 “This book has been composed in Linotton Times Roman Princeton Univesity Press books are printed on acid-ree paper, snd meet the guidelines fr permanence and durability ofthe Commies on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity ofthe ‘Citi on Library Resources Printed in the United States of America wse76s4321 ‘To all those who have seriously contemplated the wonder of Nature's plan “what's the use oftheir having names,” the Gnat said, “if they won't answer to them?” “No use to them,” said Alice, “but it’s useful to the people that fume them, I suppose. If not, why do they have names at all?”* Lewis Carrol, Through the Looking Glass ‘he frequent occurrence of similar phenomena in cultural areas that have no Ihintrical contact suggests that important results may be derived from their sly, or It shows that the human mind develops everywhere according to the sunie wa, The dncovery of these [laws] i the greatest aim of our science. —Franz Boas, 1888