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commit 2914e335c1e06ed2a1339f8d6c715040c6f4dd7b
Author: Robin Lee Powell
Date: Thu Feb 24 12:36:00 2011 -0800
HAS CONTENT CHANGES. The "..." and "etc." in the table have been
replaced with [N]roi and so on.
diff --git a/todocbook/10.xml b/todocbook/10.xml
index e2754c8..23f1a24 100644
--- a/todocbook/10.xml
+++ b/todocbook/10.xml
@@ -15,1008 +15,1010 @@
=20
I will go to London tomorrow.
=20
I am going to London tomorrow.
all mean the same thing, even though the first sentence uses the=
present tense; the second, the future tense; and the third, a compound ten=
se usually called=20
=20
=20
=20
present progressive
. Likewise, a newspaper headline say=
s=20
JONES DIES
, although it is obvious that the time referr=
ed to must be in the past. Tense is a mandatory category of English: every =
sentence must be marked for tense, even if in a way contrary to logic, beca=
use every main verb has a tense marker built into to it. By contrast, Lojba=
n brivla have no implicit tense marker attached to them.
- elided tensemeaning of space locationas part of tense =
system (see also tensespatial tense) timeas part of tense system (see also tensetemporal t=
ense) tense systemand space location tense systemand space location tenseselbri types applicable to<=
/secondary> In Lojban, the concept of tense extends to every se=
lbri, not merely the verb-like ones. In addition, tense structures provide =
information about location in space as well as in time. All tense informati=
on is optional in Lojban: a sentence like:
-
-
-
-
-
- mi klama le zarci
- I go-to the market.
-
-
- go to marketexample can be understood as:
-
- I went to the market.
- I am going to the market.
- I have gone to the market.
- I will go to the market.
- I continually go to the market.
- as well as many other possibilities: context resolves which is c=
orrect.
- cu<=
/indexterm> cueffect of tense specification tense specificationef=
fect on elidability of terminators tense specificationeffe=
ct on "cu" tenseposition of in sentence The placement of a tense construct within a Lojban bridi is=
easy: right before the selbri. It goes immediately after the=20
- cu, and can in fact always replace the=20
- cu (although in very complex sentences the rules for el=
iding terminators may be changed as a result). In the following examples,=
=20
- pu is the tense marker for=20
- past time
:
-
-
-
-
-
- mi cu pu klama le zarci mi pu klama le zarci
- I in-the-past go-to the market.
- I went to the market.
-
-
- ku<=
/indexterm> kuwith tense tensewith ku tenseposit=
ion in sentence alternative It is also possible to =
put the tense somewhere else in the bridi by adding=20
- ku after it. This=20
- ku is an elidable terminator, but it's almost never pos=
sible to actually elide it except at the end of the bridi:
-
-
-
-
-
- puku mi klama le zarci
- In-the-past I go-to the market.
- Earlier, I went to the market.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- mi klama puku le zarci
- I go-to in-the-past the market.
- I went earlier to the market.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- mi klama le zarci pu [ku]
- I go-to the market in-the-past.
- I went to the market earlier.
-
-
- tenseemphasizing by position in sentence tenseeffect o=
f different position in sentence=20
- through=20
- are different only in empha=
sis. Abnormal order, such as=20
- through=20
- exhibit, adds emphasis to t=
he words that have been moved; in this case, the tense cmavo=20
- pu. Words at either end of the sentence tend to be more=
noticeable.
-
-
- Spatial tenses: FAhA and VA
- The following cmavo are discussed in this section:
-
-
- vi
- VA
- short distance
-
-
- va
- VA
- medium distance
-
-
- vu
- VA
- long distance
-
-
- zu'a
- FAhA
- left
-
-
- ri'u
- FAhA
- right
-
-
- ga'u
- FAhA
- up
-
-
- ni'a
- FAhA
- down
-
-
- ca'u
- FAhA
- front
-
-
- ne'i
- FAhA
- within
-
-
- be'a
- =20
- FAhA
- north of
-
-
- (The complete list of FAhA cmavo can be found in=20
- .)
- Why is this section about spatial tenses rather than the more fa=
miliar time tenses of=20
- =20
- , asks the reader? Beca=
use the model to be used in explaining both will be easier to grasp for spa=
ce than for time. The explanation of time tenses will resume in=20
- =20
- =20
- .
- temporal tense el=
isioncompared with spatial tense elision in meaning tempor=
al tensecompared with spatial tense in elidability spatial=
tensecompared with temporal tense in elidability spatial =
tenseas optional in English En=
glish doesn't have mandatory spatial tenses. Although there are plenty of w=
ays in English of showing where an event happens, there is absolutely no ne=
ed to do so. Considering this fact may give the reader a feel for what the =
optional Lojban time tenses are like. From the Lojban point of view, space =
and time are interchangeable, although they are not treated identically.
- =20
- VA selma'o FAhA=
selma'o spatial tensedistance distancespec=
ification with VA VA selma'oand distance spatial tenseas an imaginary journey imaginary journeyand =
spatial tense spatial tensedefinition Lojban specifies the spatial tense of a bridi (the place at which it oc=
curs) by using words from selma'o FAhA and VA to describe an imaginary jour=
ney from the speaker to the place referred to. FAhA cmavo specify the direc=
tion taken in the journey, whereas VA cmavo specify the distance gone. For =
example:
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu va batci le gerku
- The man [medium distance] bites the dog.
- Over there the man is biting the dog.
-
-
- va<=
/indexterm> spatial tensereference frame spatial tensereferent o=
f im=
aginary journeyending point <=
indexterm type=3D"general-imported">imaginary journeystarting point man biting dog What is at a medium=
distance? The event referred to by the bridi: the man biting the dog. What=
is this event at a medium distance from? The speaker's location. We can un=
derstand the=20
- va as saying:=20
- If you want to get from the speaker's location to the location =
of the bridi, journey for a medium distance (in some direction unspecified)=
.
This=20
- imaginary journey
can be used to understand not only=20
- , but also every other spati=
al tense construct.
- directionspecification with FAhA FAhA selma'oand direc=
tion spatial tensedirection Suppos=
e you specify a direction with a FAhA cmavo, rather than a distance with a =
VA cmavo:
- zu'a FIXME: TAG SPOT
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu zu'a batci le gerku
- The man [left] bites the dog.
-
-
- Here the imaginary journey is again from the speaker's location =
to the location of the bridi, but it is now performed by going to the left =
(in the speaker's reference frame) for an unspecified distance. So a reason=
able translation is:
-
- To my left, the man bites the dog.
-
- The=20
- my does not have an explicit equivalent i=
n the Lojban, because the speaker's location is understood as the starting =
point.
- vu<=
/indexterm> va=
vi VA selma'o=
z=
u'a VA=
selma'orelation of words to tit=
a, tu zu'aderivation of word (Etymo=
logically, by the way,=20
- zu'a is derived from=20
- zunle, the gismu for=20
- left
, whereas=20
- vi,=20
- va, and=20
- vu are intended to be reminiscent of=20
- ti,=20
- ta, and=20
- tu, the demonstrative pronouns=20
- this-here
,=20
- that-there
, and=20
- that-yonder
.)
- distanceorder of relative to direction in spatial tenses directionorder of relative to distance in spatial tenses spatial tensesorder of direction and distance specifications<=
/indexterm> tense<=
secondary>order of distance specification in tenseorder of=
direction specification in What about specifying b=
oth a direction and a distance? The rule here is that the direction must co=
me before the distance:
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu zu'avi batci le gerku
- The man [left] [short distance] bites the dog.
- Slightly to my left, the man bites the dog.
-
-
- As explained in=20
- , it would be perfectly=
correct to use=20
- ku to move this tense to the beginning or the end of th=
e sentence to emphasize it:
-
-
-
-
-
- zu'aviku le nanmu cu batci le gerku
- [Left] [short distance] the man bites the dog.
- Slightly to my left, the man bites the dog.
-
-
-
-
- Compound spatial tenses
- compound tensedefinition Humph, says the reader=
: this talk of=20
- imaginary journeys
is all very well, but what's the poi=
nt of it? –=20
- zu'a means=20
- on the left
and=20
- vi means=20
- nearby
, and there's no more to be said. The imaginary-j=
ourney model becomes more useful when so-called compound tenses are involve=
d. A compound tense is exactly like a simple tense, but has several FAhAs r=
un together:
- =20
- =20
- =20
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu ga'u zu'a batci le gerku
- The man [up] [left] bites the dog.
-
-
- manhole=
example imaginary journeystages of in compound =
tenses compound spatial tenseexplanation of The proper interpretation of=20
- is that the imaginary journ=
ey has two stages: first move from the speaker's location upward, and then =
to the left. A translation might read:
-
- Left of a place above me, the man bites the dog.
-
- (Perhaps the speaker is at the bottom of a manhole, and the dog-=
biting is going on at the edge of the street.)
- =20
- compound tense or=
deringLojban contrasted with English compound tenseLojban contrasted with English in order of specification In the English translation, the keywords=20
- left
and=20
- above
occur in reverse order to the Lojban order. This =
effect is typical of what happens when we=20
- unfold
Lojban compound tenses into their English equiva=
lents, and shows why it is not very useful to try to memorize a list of Loj=
ban tense constructs and their colloquial English equivalents.
- The opposite order also makes sense:
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu zu'a ga'u batci le gerku
- The man [left] [up] bites the dog.
- Above a place to the left of me, the man bites the dog.
-
-
- compound spatial =
tenseeffect of different ordering In ordinary space, the result of going up and then to the left is the s=
ame as that of going left and then up, but such a simple relationship does =
not apply in all environments or to all directions: going south, then east,=
then north may return one to the starting point, if that point is the Nort=
h Pole.
- compound spatial =
tensewith direction and distance Each direction can have a distance following:
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu zu'avi ga'uvu batci le gerku
- The man [left] [short distance] [up] [long distance] bites =
the dog.
- Far above a place slightly to the left of me, the man bites th=
e dog.
-
-
- compound spatial =
tensebeginning with distance only A distance can also come at the beginning of the tense construct, witho=
ut any specified direction. (=20
- , with VA alone, is really a=
special case of this rule when no directions at all follow.)
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu vi zu'a batci le gerku
- The man [short distance] [left] bites the dog.
- Left of a place near me, the man bites the dog.
-
-
- compound spatial =
tenseas direction with-or-without distance=
Any number of directions may be used in a compound tense, with=
or without specified distances for each:
- =20
- =20
- =20
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu ca'uvi ni'ava ri'uvu ne'i batci le gerku
- The man [front] [short] [down] [medium] [right] [long] [wit=
hin] bites the dog.
- Within a place a long distance to the right of a place which i=
s a medium distance downward from a place a short distance in front of me, =
the man bites the dog.
-
-
- Whew! It's a good thing tense constructs are optional: having to=
say all that could certainly be painful. Note, however, how much shorter t=
he Lojban version of=20
- is than the English version=
.
-
-
- Temporal tenses: PU and ZI
- The following cmavo are discussed in this section:
-
-
- pu
- PU
- past
-
-
- ca
- PU
- present
-
-
- ba
- PU
- future
-
-
- zi
- ZI
- short time distance
-
-
- za
- ZI
- medium time distance
-
-
- zu
- ZI
- long time distance
-
-
- ZI selma'o PU s=
elma'o temporal tenseorder relative to spatial=
indexterm> spatial tenseorder relative to temporal tenserationale=
for relative order of temporal and spatial in tenseorder =
of temporal and spatial in ZI selma'ocompared with VA PU selma=
'ocompared with FAhA temporal tensesc=
ompared with spatial tenses Now that the reader und=
erstands spatial tenses, there are only two main facts to understand about =
temporal tenses: they work exactly like the spatial tenses, with selma'o PU=
and ZI standing in for FAhA and VA; and when both spatial and temporal ten=
se cmavo are given in a single tense construct, the temporal tense is expre=
ssed first. (If space could be expressed before or after time at will, then=
certain constructions would be ambiguous.)
- =20
- =20
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu pu batci le gerku
- The man [past] bites the dog.
- The man bit the dog.
-
-
- means that to reach the dog-biting, you must take an imaginary j=
ourney through time, moving towards the past an unspecified distance. (Of c=
ourse, this journey is even more imaginary than the ones talked about in th=
e previous sections, since time-travel is not an available option.)
- ba<=
/indexterm> ca=
pu spacecontrasted with time in number of directions timecontrasted with space in number of directions Lo=
jban recognizes three temporal directions:=20
- pu for the past,=20
- ca for the present, and=20
- ba for the future. (Etymologically, these derive from t=
he corresponding gismu=20
- purci,=20
- cabna, and=20
- balvi. See=20
- for an explanation of the=
exact relationship between the cmavo and the gismu.) There are many more s=
patial directions, since there are FAhA cmavo for both absolute and relativ=
e directions as well as=20
- =20
- direction-like relationships
like=20
- surrounding
,=20
- within
,=20
- touching
, etc. (See=20
- for a complete list.=
) But there are really only two directions in time: forward and backward, t=
oward the future and toward the past. Why, then, are there three cmavo of s=
elma'o PU?
- bu'u ca tenseas subjective perception bu'ucompared with ca=
ca<=
/primary>compared with bu'u carational for The reason is that tense is subjective: human beings pe=
rceive space and time in a way that does not necessarily agree with objecti=
ve measurements. We have a sense of=20
- =20
- now
which includes part of the objective past and part =
of the objective future, and so we naturally segment the time line into thr=
ee parts. The Lojban design recognizes this human reality by providing a se=
parate time-direction cmavo for the=20
- zero direction
, Similarly, there is a FAhA cmavo for th=
e zero space direction:=20
- bu'u, which means something like=20
- =20
- coinciding
.
- tenseas observer-based relativity theoryrelation to Lo=
jban tense system (Technical note for readers conve=
rsant with relativity theory: The Lojban time tenses reflect time as seen b=
y the speaker, who is assumed to be a=20
- =20
- =20
- =20
- point-like observer
in the relativistic sense: they do =
not say anything about physical relationships of relativistic interval, sti=
ll less about implicit causality. The nature of tense is not only subjectiv=
e but also observer-based.)
- Here are some examples of temporal tenses:
- =20
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu puzi batci le gerku
- The man [past] [short distance] bites the dog.
- A short time ago, the man bit the dog.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu pu pu batci le gerku
- The man [past] [past] bites the dog.
- Earlier than an earlier time than now, the man bit the dog.=
- The man had bitten the dog.
- The man had been biting the dog.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu ba puzi batci le gerku
- The man [future] [past] [short] bites the dog.
- Shortly earlier than some time later than now, the man will=
bite the dog.
- Soon before then, the man will have bitten the dog.
- The man will have just bitten the dog.
- The man will just have been biting the dog.
-
-
- compound temporal=
tensebeginning with distance only What about the analogue of an initial VA without a direction? Lojban d=
oes allow an initial ZI with or without following PUs:
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu zi pu batci le gerku
- The man [short] [past] bites the dog.
- Before a short time from or before now, the man bit or will bi=
te the dog.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu zu batci le gerku
- The man [long] bites the dog.
- A long time from or before now, the man will bite or bit the d=
og.
-
-
- unspecified direc=
tiontemporal contrasted with in spatial=20
- and=20
- are perfectly legitimate, b=
ut may not be very much used:=20
- zi by itself signals an event that happens at a time cl=
ose to the present, but without saying whether it is in the past or the fut=
ure. A rough translation might be=20
- about now, but not exactly now
.
- nearby in timeexample Because we can move in an=
y direction in space, we are comfortable with the idea of events happening =
in an unspecified space direction (=20
- nearby
or=20
- far away
), but we live only from past to future, and th=
e idea of an event which happens=20
- nearby in time
is a peculiar one. Lojban provides lots =
of such possibilities that don't seem all that useful to English-speakers, =
even though you can put them together productively; this fact may be a limi=
tation of English.
- =20
- tensewith both temporal and spatial Finally, he=
re are examples which combine temporal and spatial tense:
- long ago and far away=
example FIXME: TAG SPOT
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu puzu vu batci le gerku
- The man [past] [long time] [long space] bites the dog.
- Long ago and far away, the man bit the dog.
-
-
- Alternatively,
-
-
-
-
-
- le nanmu batci le gerku puzuvuku
- The man bites the dog [past] [long time] [long space].
- The man bit the dog long ago and far away.
- =20
-
-
-
-
- Interval sizes: VEhA and ZEhA
- The following cmavo are discussed in this section:
-
-
- ve'i
- VEhA
- short space interval
-
-
- ve'a
- VEhA
- medium space interval
-
-
- ve'u
- VEhA
- long space interval
-
-
- ze'i
- ZEhA
- short time interval
-
-
- ze'a
- ZEhA
- medium time interval
-
-
- ze'u
- ZEhA
- long time interval
-
-
- ZEhA selma'o<=
/primary> VE=
hA selma'o tenseinterval contrasted with point=
indexterm> tensepoint contrasted with interval So far, we =
have considered only events that are usually thought of as happening at a p=
articular point in space and time: a man biting a dog at a specified place =
and time. But Lojbanic events may be much more=20
- spread out
than that:=20
- mi vasxu (I breathe) is something which i=
s true during the whole of my life from birth to death, and over the entire=
part of the earth where I spend my life. The cmavo of VEhA (for space) and=
ZEhA (for time) can be added to any of the tense constructs we have alread=
y studied to specify the size of the space or length of the time over which=
the bridi is claimed to be true.
- =20
-
-
-
-
-
- le verba ve'i cadzu le bisli
- The child [small space interval] walks-on the ice.
- In a small space, the child walks on the ice.
- The child walks about a small area of the ice.
-
-
- child on iceexample means that her walking was =
done in a small area. Like the distances, the interval sizes are classified=
only roughly as=20
- small, medium, large
, and are relative to the context: =
a small part of a room might be a large part of a table in that room.
- Here is an example using a time interval:
-
-
-
-
-
- le verba ze'a cadzu le bisli
- The child [medium time interval] walks-on the ice.
- For a medium time, the child walks/walked/will walk on the ice=
.
-
-
- intervalrelative order with direction and distance in tense=
tense=
order of directiondistance and interval in=
Note that with no time direction word,=20
- does not say when the walki=
ng happened: that would be determined by context. It is possible to specify=
both directions or distances and an interval, in which case the interval a=
lways comes afterward:
-
-
-
-
-
- le verba pu ze'a cadzu le bisli
- The child [past] [medium time interval] walks-on the ice.=
gloss>
- For a medium time, the child walked on the ice.
- The child walked on the ice for a while.
-
-
- interval directio=
nspecifying cameaning when followin=
g interval specification directionfollowing interval in te=
nse construct intervalfollowed by direction in tense const=
ruct tensespecifying relation of interval to point specifi=
ed by direction and distance intervalspecifying relation t=
o point specified by direction and distance tenserelation =
of point specified by direction and distance to interval tenserelation of interval to point specified by direction and distance interval<=
/primary>relation to point specified by direction and distance=
secondary> In=20
- , the relationship of the in=
terval to the specified point in time or space is indeterminate. Does the i=
nterval start at the point, end at the point, or is it centered on the poin=
t? By adding an additional direction cmavo after the interval, this questio=
n can be conclusively answered:
-
-
-
-
-
- mi ca ze'ica cusku dei
- I [present] [short time interval - present] express this-ut=
terance.
- I am now saying this sentence.
-
-
- interval sizeas context-dependent means that fo=
r an interval starting a short time in the past and extending to a short ti=
me in the future, I am expressing the utterance which is=20
- . Of course,=20
- short
is relative, as always in tenses. Even a long sen=
tence takes up only a short part of a whole day; in a geological context, t=
he era of=20
- Homo sapiens would only be a=20
- ze'i interval.
- By contrast,
-
-
-
-
-
- mi ca ze'ipu cusku dei
- I [present] [short time interval - past] express this-utter=
ance.
- I have just been saying this sentence.
-
-
- imaginary journey=
with interval direction pumeaning whe=
n following interval specification means that for a=
short time interval extending from the past to the present I have been exp=
ressing=20
- . Here the imaginary journey=
starts at the present, lays down one end point of the interval, moves into=
the past, and lays down the other endpoint. Another example:
-
-
-
-
-
- mi pu ze'aba citka le mi sanmi
- I [past] [medium time interval - future] eat my meal.
- For a medium time afterward, I ate my meal.
- I ate my meal for a while.
-
-
- With=20
- ca instead of=20
- ba,=20
- becomes=20
- ,
-
-
-
-
-
- mi pu ze'aca citka le mi sanmi
- I [past] [medium time interval - present] eat my meal.
- For a medium time before and afterward, I ate my meal.
- I ate my meal for a while.
-
-
- because the interval would then be centered on the past moment r=
ather than oriented toward the future of that moment. The colloquial Englis=
h translations are the same – English is not well-suited to represent=
ing this distinction.
- Here are some examples of the use of space intervals with and wi=
thout specified directions:
- fish on rightexample FIXME: TAG SPOT
-
-
-
-
-
- ta ri'u ve'i finpe
- That-there [right] [short space interval] is-a-fish.
- That thing on my right is a fish.
-
-
- In=20
- , there is no equivalent in =
the colloquial English translation of the=20
- small interval
which the fish occupies. Neither the Loj=
ban nor the English expresses the orientation of the fish. Compare=20
- :
-
-
-
-
-
- ta ri'u ve'ica'u finpe
- That-there [right] [short space interval - front] is-a-fish=
.
- That thing on my right extending forwards is a fish.
-
-
- Here the space interval occupied by the fish extends from a poin=
t on my right to another point in front of the first point.
-
-
- Vague intervals and non-specific tenses
- interval sizevague interval sizeunspecified What is the significance of failing to specify an interval si=
ze of the type discussed in=20
- =20
- ? The Lojban rule is that if=
no interval size is given, the size of the space or time interval is left =
vague by the speaker. For example:
- =20
-
-
-
-
-
- mi pu klama le zarci
- I [past] go-to the market.
-
-
- really means:
-
- At a moment in the past, and possibly other moments as well, the eve=
nt I went to the market
was in progress.
-
- tense direction=
primary>implications on scope of event =
past eventpossible extension into present The vague or unsp=
ecified interval contains an instant in the speaker's past. However, there =
is no indication whether or not the whole interval is in the speaker's past=
! It is entirely possible that the interval during which the going-to-the-m=
arket is happening stretches into the speaker's present or even future.
- tenseLojban contrasted with English in implications of completeness=20
- points up a fundamental dif=
ference between Lojban tenses and English tenses. An English past-tense sen=
tence like=20
- I went to the market
generally signifies that the going=
-to-the-market is entirely in the past; that is, that the event is complete=
at the time of speaking. Lojban=20
- pu has no such implication.
- tenseaorist aoristdefinition =
Classical Greek aorist tense<=
/primary>compared with Lojban tense This=
property of a past tense is sometimes called=20
- aorist
, in reference to a similar concept in the tense =
system of Classical Greek. All of the Lojban tenses have the same property,=
however:
- =20
- =20
-
-
-
-
-
- le tricu ba crino
- The tree [future] is-green.
- The tree will be green.
-
-
- future eventpossible extension into present doe=
s not imply (as the colloquial English translation does) that the tree is n=
ot green now. The vague interval throughout which the tree is, in fact, gre=
en may have already started.
- This general principle does not mean that Lojban has no way of i=
ndicating that a tree will be green but is not yet green. Indeed, there are=
several ways of expressing that concept: see=20
- (event contours) and=20
- =20
- =20
- (logical connection betwe=
en tenses).
-
-
- Dimensionality: VIhA
- The following cmavo are discussed in this section:
-
-
- vi'i
- VIhA
- on a line
-
-
- vi'a
- =20
- VIhA
- in an area
-
-
- vi'u
- VIhA
- through a volume
-
-
- vi'e
- =20
- VIhA
- throughout a space/time interval
-
-
- spatial tensethree-dimensional spatial tensetwo-dimens=
ional spatial tenseone-dimensional=
spatial tenseplanar spatial tenselinear =
spatial tensecontrasted with temporal in dimensionality Th=
e cmavo of ZEhA are sufficient to express time intervals. One fundamental d=
ifference between space and time, however, is that space is multi-dimension=
al. Sometimes we want to say not only that something moves over a small int=
erval, but also perhaps that it moves in a line. Lojban allows for this. I =
can specify that a motion=20
- in a small space
is more specifically=20
- in a short line
,=20
- in a small area
, or=20
- through a small volume
.
- VIhA selma'o<=
/primary> What about the child walking on the ice in=20
- through=20
- ? Given the nature of ice, p=
robably the area interpretation is most sensible. I can make this assumptio=
n explicit with the appropriate member of selma'o VIhA:
-
-
-
-
-
- le verba ve'a vi'a cadzu le bisli
- =20
- The child [medium space interval] [2-dimensional] walks-on =
the ice.
- In a medium-sized area, the child walks on the ice.
-
-
- vi'a size=
order with dimensionality in spatial tense intervals=
dimensionality<=
/primary>order with size in spatial tense intervals<=
/indexterm> spatial tense in=
tervalsorder of size and dimensionality in=
spatial tense i=
ntervalsorder of VEhA and VIhA in Space intervals can contain either VEhA or VIhA or both, but if both, V=
EhA must come first, as=20
- shows.
- dimensionalityof walking dimensionality of intervalas =
subjective The reader may wish to raise a philosoph=
ical point here. (Readers who don't wish to, should skip this paragraph.) T=
he ice may be two-dimensional, or more accurately its surface may be, but s=
ince the child is three-dimensional, her walking must also be. The subjecti=
ve nature of Lojban tense comes to the rescue here: the action is essential=
ly planar, and the third dimension of height is simply irrelevant to walkin=
g. Even walking on a mountain could be called=20
- =20
- =20
- vi'a, because relatively speaking the mountain is assoc=
iated with an essentially two-dimensional surface. Motion which is not conf=
ined to such a surface (e.g., flying, or walking through a three-dimensiona=
l network of tunnels, or climbing among mountains rather than on a single m=
ountain) would be properly described with=20
- =20
- vi'u. So the cognitive, rather than the physical, dimen=
sionality controls the choice of VIhA cmavo.
- =20
- vi'e spatial tense<=
/primary>4-dimensional interaction with temporal tense temporal tens=
einteraction with 4-dimensional spatial tense futureward=
primary>as a spatial tense pastwardas a spatial=
tense tensespace-time dimension for intervals=
spatial tense=
primary>four-dimensional Einsteinianspace-time =
intervals with 4 dimensions VIhA has a member=20
- vi'e which indicates a 4-dimensional interval, one that=
involves both space and time. This allows the spatial tenses to invade, to=
some degree, the temporal tenses; it is possible to make statements about =
space-time considered as an Einsteinian whole. (There are presently no cmav=
o of FAhA assigned to=20
- =20
- =20
- =20
- pastward
and=20
- =20
- futureward
considered as space rather than time directi=
ons – they could be added, though, if Lojbanists find space-time expr=
ession useful.) If a temporal tense cmavo is used in the same tense constru=
ct with a=20
- =20
- =20
- vi'e interval, the resulting tense may be self-contradi=
ctory.
- =20
-
-
- Movement in space: MOhI
- The following cmavo is discussed in this section:
-
-
- mo'i
- MOhI
- movement flag
-
-
- MOhI selma'o<=
/primary> mo=
'i mov=
ement specificationinteraction with direction in tense=
s di=
rectioninteraction with movement specification in tens=
es t=
enseexpressing movement in tensestati=
c contrasted with moving All the information carrie=
d by the tense constructs so far presented has been presumed to be static: =
the bridi is occurring somewhere or other in space and time, more or less r=
emote from the speaker. Suppose the truth of the bridi itself depends on th=
e result of a movement, or represents an action being done while the speake=
r is moving? This too can be represented by the tense system, using the cma=
vo=20
- =20
- mo'i (of selma'o MOhI) plus a spatial direction and opt=
ional distance; the direction now refers to a direction of motion rather th=
an a static direction from the speaker.
-on rightcontrasted with toward right toward rightcontrasted=
with on right FIXME: TAG SPOT
-
-
- toward my rightexample
-
-
-
- le verba mo'i ri'u cadzu le bisli
- The child [movement] [right] walks-on the ice.
- The child walks toward my right on the ice.
- =20
-
-
- This is quite different from:
-
-
-
-
-
- le verba ri'u cadzu le bisli
- The child [right] walks-on the ice.
- To the right of me, the child walks on the ice.
-
-
- BAI selma'o=
primary> ma'=
i refe=
rence framespecifying for direction tenses=
directionreference frame for reference frame for directions in tenses In either case, however, the reference frame for definin=
g=20
- =20
- right
and=20
- left
is the speaker's, not the child's. This can be cha=
nged thus:
-
-
-
-
-
- le verba mo'i ri'u cadzu le bisli ma'i vo'a
- =20
- The child [movement] [right] walks on the ice in-reference-=
frame the-x1-place.
- The child walks toward her right on the ice.
- =20
-
-
- toward her right<=
/primary>example=20
- is analogous to=20
- . The cmavo=20
- ma'i belongs to selma'o BAI (explained in=20
- =20
- ), and allows specifying a reference fr=
ame.
- =20
- tenseorder of movement specification in movementorder =
in tense constructs Both a regular and a=20
- mo'i-flagged spatial tense can be combined, with the=20
- mo'i construct coming last:
-
-
-
-
-
- le verba zu'avu mo'i ri'uvi cadzu le bisli
- The child [left] [long] [movement] [right] [short] walks-on=
the ice.
- Far to the left of me, the child walks a short distance toward=
my right on the ice.
- =20
-
-
- movementwith multiple directions directionsmultiple wi=
th movement <=
primary>complex movementsexpressing It is not grammatical to use multiple directions like=20
- zu'a ca'u after=20
- mo'i, but complex movements can be expressed in a separ=
ate bridi.
- =20
- Here is an example of a movement tense on a bridi not inherently=
involving movement:
-
-
-
-
-
- mi mo'i ca'uvu citka le mi sanmi
- I [movement] [front] [long] eat my meal.
- While moving a long way forward, I eat my meal.
-
-
- eat in airplane=
primary>example (Perhaps I am eating in =
an airplane.)
- time travel movementtime There is no parallel facilit=
y in Lojban at present for expressing movement in time – time travel =
– but one could be added easily if it ever becomes useful.
- =20
-
-
- Interval properties: TAhE and=20
- roi
- =20
- The following cmavo are discussed in this section:
-
-
- di'i
- TAhE
- regularly
-
+ elided tensemeaning of space locationas part of tens=
e system (see also tensespatial tense) timeas part of tense system (see also tensetemporal=
tense) tense systemand space location tense systemand space location tenseselbri types applicable t=
o In Lojban, the concept of tense extends to every =
selbri, not merely the verb-like ones. In addition, tense structures provid=
e information about location in space as well as in time. All tense informa=
tion is optional in Lojban: a sentence like:
+
+
+
+
+
+ mi klama le zarci
+ I go-to the market.
+
+
+ go to marketexample can be understood as:
+
+ I went to the market.
+ I am going to the market.
+ I have gone to the market.
+ I will go to the market.
+ I continually go to the market.
+ as well as many other possibilities: context resolves which is=
correct.
+ cu cueffect of tense specification tense specification=
effect on elidability of terminators tense specificationef=
fect on "cu" tenseposition of in sentence The placement of a tense construct within a Lojban bridi =
is easy: right before the selbri. It goes immediately after the=20
+ cu, and can in fact always replace the=20
+ cu (although in very complex sentences the rules for =
eliding terminators may be changed as a result). In the following examples,=
=20
+ pu is the tense marker for=20
+ past time
:
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ mi cu pu klama le zarci
+ mi pu klama le zarci
+ I in-the-past go-to the market.
+ I went to the market.
+
+
+ ku kuwith tense tensewith ku =
tensepos=
ition in sentence alternative It is also possible t=
o put the tense somewhere else in the bridi by adding=20
+ ku after it. This=20
+ ku is an elidable terminator, but it's almost never p=
ossible to actually elide it except at the end of the bridi:
+
+
+
+
+
+ puku mi klama le zarci
+ In-the-past I go-to the market.
+ Earlier, I went to the market.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ mi klama puku le zarci
+ I go-to in-the-past the market.
+ I went earlier to the market.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ mi klama le zarci pu [ku]
+ I go-to the market in-the-past.
+ I went to the market earlier.
+
+
+ tense=
emphasizing by position in sentence tenseeffect=
of different position in sentence=20
+ through=20
+ are different only in emp=
hasis. Abnormal order, such as=20
+ through=20
+ exhibit, adds emphasis to=
the words that have been moved; in this case, the tense cmavo=20
+ pu. Words at either end of the sentence tend to be mo=
re noticeable.
+
+
+ Spatial tenses: FAhA and VA
+ The following cmavo are discussed in this section:
+
+
+ vi
+ VA
+ short distance
+
+
+ va
+ VA
+ medium distance
+
+
+ vu
+ VA
+ long distance
+
+
+ zu'a
+ FAhA
+ left
+
+
+ ri'u
+ FAhA
+ right
+
+
+ ga'u
+ FAhA
+ up
+
+
+ ni'a
+ FAhA
+ down
+
+
+ ca'u
+ FAhA
+ front
+
+
+ ne'i
+ FAhA
+ within
+
+
+ be'a
+ =20
+ FAhA
+ north of
+
+
+ (The complete list of FAhA cmavo can be found in=20
+ .)
+ Why is this section about spatial tenses rather than the more =
familiar time tenses of=20
+ =20
+ , asks the reader? Be=
cause the model to be used in explaining both will be easier to grasp for s=
pace than for time. The explanation of time tenses will resume in=20
+ =20
+ =20
+ .
+ temporal tense =
elisioncompared with spatial tense elision in meaning<=
/secondary> temp=
oral tensecompared with spatial tense in elidability=
secondary> spati=
al tensecompared with temporal tense in elidability spatia=
l tenseas optional in English =
English doesn't have mandatory spatial tenses. Although there are plenty of=
ways in English of showing where an event happens, there is absolutely no =
need to do so. Considering this fact may give the reader a feel for what th=
e optional Lojban time tenses are like. From the Lojban point of view, spac=
e and time are interchangeable, although they are not treated identically.<=
/para>
+ =20
+ VA selma'o<=
/primary> FA=
hA selma'o spatial tensedistance distancesp=
ecification with VA VA selma'oand distance spatial tenseas an imaginary journey imaginary journeyan=
d spatial tense spatial tensedefinition Lojban specifies the spatial tense of a bridi (the place at which it =
occurs) by using words from selma'o FAhA and VA to describe an imaginary jo=
urney from the speaker to the place referred to. FAhA cmavo specify the dir=
ection taken in the journey, whereas VA cmavo specify the distance gone. Fo=
r example:
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu va batci le gerku
+ The man [medium distance] bites the dog.
+ Over there the man is biting the dog.
+
+
+ va spatial tense<=
/primary>reference frame spatial tensereferent =
of i=
maginary journeyending point =
imaginary journeystarting point man biting dog What is at a mediu=
m distance? The event referred to by the bridi: the man biting the dog. Wha=
t is this event at a medium distance from? The speaker's location. We can u=
nderstand the=20
+ va as saying:=20
+ If you want to get from the speaker's location to the locatio=
n of the bridi, journey for a medium distance (in some direction unspecifie=
d).
This=20
+ imaginary journey
can be used to understand not only=
=20
+ , but also every other spa=
tial tense construct.
+ directionspecification with FAhA FAhA selma'oand dir=
ection spatial tensedirection Supp=
ose you specify a direction with a FAhA cmavo, rather than a distance with =
a VA cmavo:
+ zu'a<=
/indexterm> FIXME: TAG SPOT
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu zu'a batci le gerku
+ The man [left] bites the dog.
+
+
+ Here the imaginary journey is again from the speaker's locatio=
n to the location of the bridi, but it is now performed by going to the lef=
t (in the speaker's reference frame) for an unspecified distance. So a reas=
onable translation is:
+
+ To my left, the man bites the dog.
+
+ The=20
+ my does not have an explicit equivalent=
in the Lojban, because the speaker's location is understood as the startin=
g point.
+ vu va vi VA selma=
'o zu'a =
VA selma'orelation of words to tita, tu zu'aderivation of word (Ety=
mologically, by the way,=20
+ zu'a is derived from=20
+ zunle, the gismu for=20
+ left
, whereas=20
+ vi,=20
+ va, and=20
+ vu are intended to be reminiscent of=20
+ ti,=20
+ ta, and=20
+ tu, the demonstrative pronouns=20
+ this-here
,=20
+ that-there
, and=20
+ that-yonder
.)
+ distanceorder of relative to direction in spatial tenses<=
/indexterm> directionorder of relative to distance in spatial tenses=
indexterm> spatial tensesorder of direction and distance specifications tenseorder of distance specification in tenseorder =
of direction specification in What about specifying=
both a direction and a distance? The rule here is that the direction must =
come before the distance:
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu zu'avi batci le gerku
+ The man [left] [short distance] bites the dog.
+ Slightly to my left, the man bites the dog.
+
+
+ As explained in=20
+ , it would be perfect=
ly correct to use=20
+ ku to move this tense to the beginning or the end of =
the sentence to emphasize it:
+
+
+
+
+
+ zu'aviku le nanmu cu batci le gerku
+ [Left] [short distance] the man bites the dog.
+ Slightly to my left, the man bites the dog.
+
+
+
+
+ Compound spatial tenses
+ compound tense<=
/primary>definition Humph, says the read=
er: this talk of=20
+ imaginary journeys
is all very well, but what's the p=
oint of it? –=20
+ zu'a means=20
+ on the left
and=20
+ vi means=20
+ nearby
, and there's no more to be said. The imaginary=
-journey model becomes more useful when so-called compound tenses are invol=
ved. A compound tense is exactly like a simple tense, but has several FAhAs=
run together:
+ =20
+ =20
+ =20
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu ga'u zu'a batci le gerku
+ The man [up] [left] bites the dog.
+
+
+ manholeexample imaginary journeystages of in compoun=
d tenses compound spatial tenseexplanation of<=
/indexterm> The proper interpretation of=20
+ is that the imaginary jou=
rney has two stages: first move from the speaker's location upward, and the=
n to the left. A translation might read:
+
+ Left of a place above me, the man bites the dog.
+
+ (Perhaps the speaker is at the bottom of a manhole, and the do=
g-biting is going on at the edge of the street.)
+ =20
+ compound tense =
orderingLojban contrasted with English compound tenseLojban contrasted with English in order of specification In the English translation, the keywords=20
+ left
and=20
+ above
occur in reverse order to the Lojban order. Thi=
s effect is typical of what happens when we=20
+ unfold
Lojban compound tenses into their English equi=
valents, and shows why it is not very useful to try to memorize a list of L=
ojban tense constructs and their colloquial English equivalents.
+ The opposite order also makes sense:
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu zu'a ga'u batci le gerku
+ The man [left] [up] bites the dog.
+ Above a place to the left of me, the man bites the dog.
+
+
+ compound spatia=
l tenseeffect of different ordering In ordinary space, the result of going up and then to the left is the=
same as that of going left and then up, but such a simple relationship doe=
s not apply in all environments or to all directions: going south, then eas=
t, then north may return one to the starting point, if that point is the No=
rth Pole.
+ compound spatia=
l tensewith direction and distance Each direction can have a distance following:
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu zu'avi ga'uvu batci le gerku
+ The man [left] [short distance] [up] [long distance] bite=
s the dog.
+ Far above a place slightly to the left of me, the man bites =
the dog.
+
+
+ compound spatia=
l tensebeginning with distance only A distance can also come at the beginning of the tense construct, wit=
hout any specified direction. (=20
+ , with VA alone, is really=
a special case of this rule when no directions at all follow.)
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu vi zu'a batci le gerku
+ The man [short distance] [left] bites the dog.
+ Left of a place near me, the man bites the dog.
+
+
+ compound spatia=
l tenseas direction with-or-without distance Any number of directions may be used in a compound tense, wi=
th or without specified distances for each:
+ =20
+ =20
+ =20
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu ca'uvi ni'ava ri'uvu ne'i batci le gerku
+ The man [front] [short] [down] [medium] [right] [long] [w=
ithin] bites the dog.
+ Within a place a long distance to the right of a place which=
is a medium distance downward from a place a short distance in front of me=
, the man bites the dog.
+
+
+ Whew! It's a good thing tense constructs are optional: having =
to say all that could certainly be painful. Note, however, how much shorter=
the Lojban version of=20
+ is than the English versi=
on.
+
+
+ Temporal tenses: PU and ZI
+ The following cmavo are discussed in this section:
+
+
+ pu
+ PU
+ past
+
+
+ ca
+ PU
+ present
+
+
+ ba
+ PU
+ future
+
+
+ zi
+ ZI
+ short time distance
+
+
+ za
+ ZI
+ medium time distance
+
+
+ zu
+ ZI
+ long time distance
+
+
+ ZI selma'o<=
/primary> PU=
selma'o temporal tenseorder relative to spatial=
spatial tense=
primary>order relative to temporal tenserationa=
le for relative order of temporal and spatial in <=
indexterm type=3D"general-imported">tenseorde=
r of temporal and spatial in ZI selma'ocompared with VA PU sel=
ma'ocompared with FAhA temporal tensescompared with spatial tenses Now that the reader u=
nderstands spatial tenses, there are only two main facts to understand abou=
t temporal tenses: they work exactly like the spatial tenses, with selma'o =
PU and ZI standing in for FAhA and VA; and when both spatial and temporal t=
ense cmavo are given in a single tense construct, the temporal tense is exp=
ressed first. (If space could be expressed before or after time at will, th=
en certain constructions would be ambiguous.)
+ =20
+ =20
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu pu batci le gerku
+ The man [past] bites the dog.
+ The man bit the dog.
+
+
+ means that to reach the dog-biting, you must take an imaginary=
journey through time, moving towards the past an unspecified distance. (Of=
course, this journey is even more imaginary than the ones talked about in =
the previous sections, since time-travel is not an available option.)
+ ba ca pu spacecontrasted with time in number of directions timecontrasted with space in number of directions =
Lojban recognizes three temporal directions:=20
+ pu for the past,=20
+ ca for the present, and=20
+ ba for the future. (Etymologically, these derive from=
the corresponding gismu=20
+ purci,=20
+ cabna, and=20
+ balvi. See=20
+ for an explanation of t=
he exact relationship between the cmavo and the gismu.) There are many more=
spatial directions, since there are FAhA cmavo for both absolute and relat=
ive directions as well as=20
+ =20
+ direction-like relationships
like=20
+ surrounding
,=20
+ within
,=20
+ touching
, etc. (See=20
+ for a complete lis=
t.) But there are really only two directions in time: forward and backward,=
toward the future and toward the past. Why, then, are there three cmavo of=
selma'o PU?
+ bu'u ca tenseas subjective perception bu'ucompared with =
ca c=
acompared with bu'u carational for The reason is that tense is subjective: human beings =
perceive space and time in a way that does not necessarily agree with objec=
tive measurements. We have a sense of=20
+ =20
+ now
which includes part of the objective past and par=
t of the objective future, and so we naturally segment the time line into t=
hree parts. The Lojban design recognizes this human reality by providing a =
separate time-direction cmavo for the=20
+ zero direction
, Similarly, there is a FAhA cmavo for =
the zero space direction:=20
+ bu'u, which means something like=20
+ =20
+ coinciding
.
+ tense=
as observer-based relativity theoryrelation to =
Lojban tense system (Technical note for readers con=
versant with relativity theory: The Lojban time tenses reflect time as seen=
by the speaker, who is assumed to be a=20
+ =20
+ =20
+ =20
+ point-like observer
in the relativistic sense: they d=
o not say anything about physical relationships of relativistic interval, s=
till less about implicit causality. The nature of tense is not only subject=
ive but also observer-based.)
+ Here are some examples of temporal tenses:
+ =20
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu puzi batci le gerku
+ The man [past] [short distance] bites the dog.
+ A short time ago, the man bit the dog.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu pu pu batci le gerku
+ The man [past] [past] bites the dog.
+ Earlier than an earlier time than now, the man bit the do=
g.
+ The man had bitten the dog.
+ The man had been biting the dog.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu ba puzi batci le gerku
+ The man [future] [past] [short] bites the dog.
+ Shortly earlier than some time later than now, the man wi=
ll bite the dog.
+ Soon before then, the man will have bitten the dog.
+ The man will have just bitten the dog.
+ The man will just have been biting the dog.
+
+
+ compound tempor=
al tensebeginning with distance only What about the analogue of an initial VA without a direction? Lojban=
does allow an initial ZI with or without following PUs:
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu zi pu batci le gerku
+ The man [short] [past] bites the dog.
+ Before a short time from or before now, the man bit or will =
bite the dog.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu zu batci le gerku
+ The man [long] bites the dog.
+ A long time from or before now, the man will bite or bit the=
dog.
+
+
+ unspecified dir=
ectiontemporal contrasted with in spatial<=
/indexterm>=20
+ and=20
+ are perfectly legitimate,=
but may not be very much used:=20
+ zi by itself signals an event that happens at a time =
close to the present, but without saying whether it is in the past or the f=
uture. A rough translation might be=20
+ about now, but not exactly now
.
+ nearby in time<=
/primary>example Because we can move in =
any direction in space, we are comfortable with the idea of events happenin=
g in an unspecified space direction (=20
+ nearby
or=20
+ far away
), but we live only from past to future, and =
the idea of an event which happens=20
+ nearby in time
is a peculiar one. Lojban provides lot=
s of such possibilities that don't seem all that useful to English-speakers=
, even though you can put them together productively; this fact may be a li=
mitation of English.
+ =20
+ tense=
with both temporal and spatial Finally, =
here are examples which combine temporal and spatial tense:
+ long ago and far aw=
ayexample FIXME: TAG SPOT
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu puzu vu batci le gerku
+ The man [past] [long time] [long space] bites the dog.
+ Long ago and far away, the man bit the dog.
+
+
+ Alternatively,
+
+
+
+
+
+ le nanmu batci le gerku puzuvuku
+ The man bites the dog [past] [long time] [long space].
+ The man bit the dog long ago and far away.
+ =20
+
+
+
+
+ Interval sizes: VEhA and ZEhA
+ The following cmavo are discussed in this section:
+
+
+ ve'i
+ VEhA
+ short space interval
+
+
+ ve'a
+ VEhA
+ medium space interval
+
+
+ ve'u
+ VEhA
+ long space interval
+
+
+ ze'i
+ ZEhA
+ short time interval
+
+
+ ze'a
+ ZEhA
+ medium time interval
+
+
+ ze'u
+ ZEhA
+ long time interval
+
+
+ ZEhA selma'=
o =
VEhA selma'o tenseinterval contrasted with point=
tense=
point contrasted with interval So far, w=
e have considered only events that are usually thought of as happening at a=
particular point in space and time: a man biting a dog at a specified plac=
e and time. But Lojbanic events may be much more=20
+ spread out
than that:=20
+ mi vasxu (I breathe) is something which=
is true during the whole of my life from birth to death, and over the enti=
re part of the earth where I spend my life. The cmavo of VEhA (for space) a=
nd ZEhA (for time) can be added to any of the tense constructs we have alre=
ady studied to specify the size of the space or length of the time over whi=
ch the bridi is claimed to be true.
+ =20
+
+
+
+
+
+ le verba ve'i cadzu le bisli
+ The child [small space interval] walks-on the ice.
+ In a small space, the child walks on the ice.
+ The child walks about a small area of the ice.
+
+
+ child on iceexample means that her walking wa=
s done in a small area. Like the distances, the interval sizes are classifi=
ed only roughly as=20
+ small, medium, large
, and are relative to the context=
: a small part of a room might be a large part of a table in that room.
+ Here is an example using a time interval:
+
+
+
+
+
+ le verba ze'a cadzu le bisli
+ The child [medium time interval] walks-on the ice.
+ For a medium time, the child walks/walked/will walk on the i=
ce.
+
+
+ intervalrelative order with direction and distance in tense tenseorder of directiondistance and interval =
in Note that with no time direction word,=20
+ does not say when the wal=
king happened: that would be determined by context. It is possible to speci=
fy both directions or distances and an interval, in which case the interval=
always comes afterward:
+
+
+
+
+
+ le verba pu ze'a cadzu le bisli
+ The child [past] [medium time interval] walks-on the ice.=
+ For a medium time, the child walked on the ice.
+ The child walked on the ice for a while.
+
+
+ interval direct=
ionspecifying cameaning when followin=
g interval specification directionfollowing interval in te=
nse construct intervalfollowed by direction in tense const=
ruct tensespecifying relation of interval to point specifi=
ed by direction and distance intervalspecifying relation t=
o point specified by direction and distance tenserelation =
of point specified by direction and distance to interval tenserelation of interval to point specified by direction and distance interval<=
/primary>relation to point specified by direction and distance=
secondary> In=20
+ , the relationship of the =
interval to the specified point in time or space is indeterminate. Does the=
interval start at the point, end at the point, or is it centered on the po=
int? By adding an additional direction cmavo after the interval, this quest=
ion can be conclusively answered:
+
+
+
+
+
+ mi ca ze'ica cusku dei
+ I [present] [short time interval - present] express this-=
utterance.
+ I am now saying this sentence.
+
+
+ interval size=
primary>as context-dependent means that =
for an interval starting a short time in the past and extending to a short =
time in the future, I am expressing the utterance which is=20
+ . Of course,=20
+ short
is relative, as always in tenses. Even a long s=
entence takes up only a short part of a whole day; in a geological context,=
the era of=20
+ Homo sapiens would only be a=20
+ ze'i interval.
+ By contrast,
+
+
+
+
+
+ mi ca ze'ipu cusku dei
+ I [present] [short time interval - past] express this-utt=
erance.
+ I have just been saying this sentence.
+
+
+ imaginary journ=
eywith interval direction pumeaning w=
hen following interval specification means that for=
a short time interval extending from the past to the present I have been e=
xpressing=20
+ . Here the imaginary journ=
ey starts at the present, lays down one end point of the interval, moves in=
to the past, and lays down the other endpoint. Another example:
+
+
+
+
+
+ mi pu ze'aba citka le mi sanmi
+ I [past] [medium time interval - future] eat my meal.
+ For a medium time afterward, I ate my meal.
+ I ate my meal for a while.
+
+
+ With=20
+ ca instead of=20
+ ba,=20
+ becomes=20
+ ,
+
+
+
+
+
+ mi pu ze'aca citka le mi sanmi
+ I [past] [medium time interval - present] eat my meal.
+ For a medium time before and afterward, I ate my meal.
+ I ate my meal for a while.
+
+
+ because the interval would then be centered on the past moment=
rather than oriented toward the future of that moment. The colloquial Engl=
ish translations are the same – English is not well-suited to represe=
nting this distinction.
+ Here are some examples of the use of space intervals with and =
without specified directions:
+ fish on rightexample FIXME: TAG SPOT
+
+
+
+
+
+ ta ri'u ve'i finpe
+ That-there [right] [short space interval] is-a-fish.
+ That thing on my right is a fish.
+
+
+ In=20
+ , there is no equivalent i=
n the colloquial English translation of the=20
+ small interval
which the fish occupies. Neither the L=
ojban nor the English expresses the orientation of the fish. Compare=20
+ :
+
+
+
+
+
+ ta ri'u ve'ica'u finpe
+ That-there [right] [short space interval - front] is-a-fi=
sh.
+ That thing on my right extending forwards is a fish.
+
+
+ Here the space interval occupied by the fish extends from a po=
int on my right to another point in front of the first point.
+
+
+ Vague intervals and non-specific tenses
+ interval size=
primary>vague interval sizeunspecified What is the significance of failing to specify an interval =
size of the type discussed in=20
+ =20
+ ? The Lojban rule is that =
if no interval size is given, the size of the space or time interval is lef=
t vague by the speaker. For example:
+ =20
+
+
+
+
+
+ mi pu klama le zarci
+ I [past] go-to the market.
+
+
+ really means:
+
+ At a moment in the past, and possibly other moments as well, the e=
vent I went to the market
was in progress.
+
+ tense direction=
implications on scope of event=
past eventpossible extension into present The vague or un=
specified interval contains an instant in the speaker's past. However, ther=
e is no indication whether or not the whole interval is in the speaker's pa=
st! It is entirely possible that the interval during which the going-to-the=
-market is happening stretches into the speaker's present or even future.=
para>
+ tense=
Lojban contrasted with English in implications of completeness=
secondary>=20
+ points up a fundamental d=
ifference between Lojban tenses and English tenses. An English past-tense s=
entence like=20
+ I went to the market
generally signifies that the goi=
ng-to-the-market is entirely in the past; that is, that the event is comple=
te at the time of speaking. Lojban=20
+ pu has no such implication.
+ tense=
aorist aoristdefinition=
Classical Greek aorist tens=
ecompared with Lojban tense Th=
is property of a past tense is sometimes called=20
+ aorist
, in reference to a similar concept in the tens=
e system of Classical Greek. All of the Lojban tenses have the same propert=
y, however:
+ =20
+ =20
+
+
+
+
+
+ le tricu ba crino
+ The tree [future] is-green.
+ The tree will be green.
+
+
+ future eventpossible extension into present d=
oes not imply (as the colloquial English translation does) that the tree is=
not green now. The vague interval throughout which the tree is, in fact, g=
reen may have already started.
+ This general principle does not mean that Lojban has no way of=
indicating that a tree will be green but is not yet green. Indeed, there a=
re several ways of expressing that concept: see=20
+ (event contours) and=20
+ =20
+ =20
+ (logical connection bet=
ween tenses).
+
+
+ Dimensionality: VIhA
+ The following cmavo are discussed in this section:
+
+
+ vi'i
+ VIhA
+ on a line
+
+
+ vi'a
+ =20
+ VIhA
+ in an area
+
+
+ vi'u
+ VIhA
+ through a volume
+
+
+ vi'e
+ =20
+ VIhA
+ throughout a space/time interval
+
+
+ spatial tense=
primary>three-dimensional spatial tensetwo-dime=
nsional spatial tenseone-dimensional spatial tenseplanar spatial tenselinear spatial tensecontrasted with temporal in dimensionality =
The cmavo of ZEhA are sufficient to express time intervals. One fundamental=
difference between space and time, however, is that space is multi-dimensi=
onal. Sometimes we want to say not only that something moves over a small i=
nterval, but also perhaps that it moves in a line. Lojban allows for this. =
I can specify that a motion=20
+ in a small space
is more specifically=20
+ in a short line
,=20
+ in a small area
, or=20
+ through a small volume
.
+ VIhA selma'=
o What about the child walking on the ice in=20
+ through=20
+ ? Given the nature of ice,=
probably the area interpretation is most sensible. I can make this assumpt=
ion explicit with the appropriate member of selma'o VIhA:
+
+
+
+
+
+ le verba ve'a vi'a cadzu le bisli
+ =20
+ The child [medium space interval] [2-dimensional] walks-o=
n the ice.
+ In a medium-sized area, the child walks on the ice.
+
+
+ vi'a sizeorder with dimensionality in spatial tense intervals dimensionalit=
yorder with size in spatial tense intervals spatial tense =
intervalsorder of size and dimensionality in spatial tense=
intervalsorder of VEhA and VIhA in Space intervals can contain either VEhA or VIhA or both, but if both,=
VEhA must come first, as=20
+ shows.
+ dimensionality<=
/primary>of walking dimensionality of intervala=
s subjective The reader may wish to raise a philoso=
phical point here. (Readers who don't wish to, should skip this paragraph.)=
The ice may be two-dimensional, or more accurately its surface may be, but=
since the child is three-dimensional, her walking must also be. The subjec=
tive nature of Lojban tense comes to the rescue here: the action is essenti=
ally planar, and the third dimension of height is simply irrelevant to walk=
ing. Even walking on a mountain could be called=20
+ =20
+ =20
+ vi'a, because relatively speaking the mountain is ass=
ociated with an essentially two-dimensional surface. Motion which is not co=
nfined to such a surface (e.g., flying, or walking through a three-dimensio=
nal network of tunnels, or climbing among mountains rather than on a single=
mountain) would be properly described with=20
+ =20
+ vi'u. So the cognitive, rather than the physical, dim=
ensionality controls the choice of VIhA cmavo.
+ =20
+ vi'e spatial tens=
e4-dimensional interaction with temporal tense temporal te=
nseinteraction with 4-dimensional spatial tense futureward=
as a spatial tense pastwardas a spati=
al tense tensespace-time dimension for intervals spatial tense=
four-dimensional Einsteinianspace-tim=
e intervals with 4 dimensions VIhA has a member=20
+ vi'e which indicates a 4-dimensional interval, one th=
at involves both space and time. This allows the spatial tenses to invade, =
to some degree, the temporal tenses; it is possible to make statements abou=
t space-time considered as an Einsteinian whole. (There are presently no cm=
avo of FAhA assigned to=20
+ =20
+ =20
+ =20
+ pastward
and=20
+ =20
+ futureward
considered as space rather than time direc=
tions – they could be added, though, if Lojbanists find space-time ex=
pression useful.) If a temporal tense cmavo is used in the same tense const=
ruct with a=20
+ =20
+ =20
+ vi'e interval, the resulting tense may be self-contra=
dictory.
+ =20
+
+
+ Movement in space: MOhI
+ The following cmavo is discussed in this section:
+
+
+ mo'i
+ MOhI
+ movement flag
+
+
+ MOhI selma'=
o =
mo'i m=
ovement specificationinteraction with direction in ten=
ses =
directioninteraction with movement specification in te=
nses tenseexpressing movement in =
tensesta=
tic contrasted with moving All the information carr=
ied by the tense constructs so far presented has been presumed to be static=
: the bridi is occurring somewhere or other in space and time, more or less=
remote from the speaker. Suppose the truth of the bridi itself depends on =
the result of a movement, or represents an action being done while the spea=
ker is moving? This too can be represented by the tense system, using the c=
mavo=20
+ =20
+ mo'i (of selma'o MOhI) plus a spatial direction and o=
ptional distance; the direction now refers to a direction of motion rather =
than a static direction from the speaker.
+ on rightcontrasted with toward right toward rightcontrast=
ed with on right FIXME: TAG SPOT
+
+
+ toward my rightexample
+
+
+
+ le verba mo'i ri'u cadzu le bisli
+ The child [movement] [right] walks-on the ice.
+ The child walks toward my right on the ice.
+ =20
+
+
+ This is quite different from:
+
+
+
+
+
+ le verba ri'u cadzu le bisli
+ The child [right] walks-on the ice.
+ To the right of me, the child walks on the ice.
+
+
+ BAI selma'o=
m=
a'i re=
ference framespecifying for direction tenses directionreference frame for reference frame for directions in tenses=
primary> In either case, however, the reference frame for defin=
ing=20
+ =20
+ right
and=20
+ left
is the speaker's, not the child's. This can be c=
hanged thus:
+
+
+
+
+
+ le verba mo'i ri'u cadzu le bisli ma'i vo'a
+ =20
+ The child [movement] [right] walks on the ice in-referenc=
e-frame the-x1-place.
+ The child walks toward her right on the ice.
+ =20
+
+
+ toward her righ=
texample=20
+ is analogous to=20
+ . The cmavo=20
+ ma'i belongs to selma'o BAI (explained in=20
+ =20
+ ), and allows specifying a reference =
frame.
+ =20
+ tense=
order of movement specification in movementorde=
r in tense constructs Both a regular and a=20
+ mo'i-flagged spatial tense can be combined, with the=
=20
+ mo'i construct coming last:
+
+
+
+
+
+ le verba zu'avu mo'i ri'uvi cadzu le bisli
+ The child [left] [long] [movement] [right] [short] walks-=
on the ice.
+ Far to the left of me, the child walks a short distance towa=
rd my right on the ice.
+ =20
+
+
+ movementwith multiple directions directionsmultiple =
with movement complex movementsexpressing It is not grammatical to use multiple directions like=20
+ zu'a ca'u after=20
+ mo'i, but complex movements can be expressed in a sep=
arate bridi.
+ =20
+ Here is an example of a movement tense on a bridi not inherent=
ly involving movement:
+
+
+
+
+
+ mi mo'i ca'uvu citka le mi sanmi
+ I [movement] [front] [long] eat my meal.
+ While moving a long way forward, I eat my meal.
+
+
+ eat in airplane=
example (Perhaps I am eating i=
n an airplane.)
+ time travel movement<=
/primary>time There is no parallel facil=
ity in Lojban at present for expressing movement in time – time trave=
l – but one could be added easily if it ever becomes useful.
+ =20
+
+
+ Interval properties: TAhE and=20
+ roi
+ =20
+ The following cmavo are discussed in this section:
+
+
+ di'i
+ TAhE
+ regularly
+
=20
-
- na'o
- TAhE
- typically
-
+
+ na'o
+ TAhE
+ typically
+
=20
-
- ru'i
- TAhE
- continuously
-
+
+ ru'i
+ TAhE
+ continuously
+
=20
-
- ta'e
- TAhE
- habitually
-
+
+ ta'e
+ TAhE
+ habitually
+
=20
=20
-
- di'inai
- TAhE
- irregularly
-
-
- na'onai
- TAhE
- atypically
-
-
- ru'inai
- TAhE
- intermittently
-
+
+ di'inai
+ TAhE
+ irregularly
+
+
+ na'onai
+ TAhE
+ atypically
+
+
+ ru'inai
+ TAhE
+ intermittently
+
=20
-
- ta'enai
- TAhE
- contrary to habit
-
+
+ ta'enai
+ TAhE
+ contrary to habit
+
=20
-
- roi
- ROI
- n
times
-
-
- roinai
- ROI
- other than n
times
-
+
+ roi
+ ROI
+ n
times
+
+
+ roinai
+ ROI
+ other than n
times
+
=20
-
- ze'e
- ZEhA
- whole time interval
-
+
+ ze'e
+ ZEhA
+ whole time interval
+
=20
=20
-
- ve'e
- VEhA
- whole space interval
-
+
+ ve'e
+ VEhA
+ whole space interval
+
=20
-
- TAhE selma'o<=
/primary> interv=
alsspread of actions over discreteof =
tense intervals continuousof tense intervals=
indexterm> Consider Lojban bridi which express events taking place in time.=
Whether a very short interval (a point) or a long interval of time is invo=
lved, the event may not be spread consistently throughout that interval. Lo=
jban can use the cmavo of selma'o TAhE to express the idea of continuous or=
non-continuous actions.
- =20
-
-
-
-
-
- mi puzu ze'u velckule
- I [past] [long distance] [long interval] am-a-school-attend=
ee (pupil).
- Long ago I attended school for a long time.
-
-
- attend schoolexample probably does not mean tha=
t I attended school continuously throughout the whole of that long-ago inte=
rval. Actually, I attended school every day, except for school holidays. Mo=
re explicitly,
-
-
-
-
-
- mi puzu ze'u di'i velckule
- =20
- I [past] [long distance] [long interval] [regularly] am-a-p=
upil.
- Long ago I regularly attended school for a long time.
-
-
- ta'e na'o di'i ru'i=
regul=
arlyexample interval spreadmutually=
contrasted The four TAhE cmavo are differentiated =
as follows:=20
- ru'i covers the entirety of the interval,=20
- =20
- di'i covers the parts of the interval which are systema=
tically spaced subintervals;=20
- =20
- na'o covers part of the interval, but exactly which par=
t is determined by context;=20
- =20
- ta'e covers part of the interval, selected with referen=
ce to the behavior of the actor (who often, but not always, appears in the =
x1 place of the bridi).
- =20
- interval spread=
primary>with unspecified interval Using =
TAhE does not require being so specific. Either the time direction or the t=
ime interval or both may be omitted (in which case they are vague). For exa=
mple:
-
-
-
-
-
- mi ba ta'e klama le zarci
- =20
- I [future] [habitually] go-to the market.
- I will habitually go to the market.
- I will make a habit of going to the market.
-
-
- specifies the future, but the duration of the interval is indefi=
nite. Similarly,
-
-
-
-
-
- mi na'o klama le zarci
- =20
- I [typically] go-to the market.
- I typically go/went/will go to the market.
-
-
- illustrates an interval property in isolation. There are no dist=
ance or direction cmavo, so the point of time is vague; likewise, there is =
no interval cmavo, so the length of the interval during which these goings-=
to-the-market take place is also vague. As always, context will determine t=
hese vague values.
- nai=
intermittently<=
/primary>example interval spreadexpressing Engl=
ish "intermittently"=20
- Intermittently
is the polar opposite notion to=20
- continuously
, and is expressed not with its own cmavo, =
but by adding the negation suffix=20
- -nai (which belongs to selma'o NAI) to=20
- ru'i. For example:
- =20
-
-
-
-
-
- le verba ru'inai cadzu le bisli
- The child [continuously-not] walks-on the ice.
- The child intermittently walks on the ice.
- =20
-
-
- interval spread=
primary>negation with nai As shown in th=
e cmavo table above, all the cmavo of TAhE may be negated with=20
- -nai;=20
- ru'inai and=20
- di'inai are probably the most useful.
- ROI selma'o=
primary> roi=
once<=
/primary>example tensequantified quantified tempora=
l tensedefinition An intermitt=
ent event can also be specified by counting the number of times during the =
interval that it takes place. The cmavo=20
+
+ TAhE selma'=
o inte=
rvalsspread of actions over <=
indexterm type=3D"general-imported">discreteo=
f tense intervals continuousof tense intervals=
Consider Lojban bridi which express events taking place in tim=
e. Whether a very short interval (a point) or a long interval of time is in=
volved, the event may not be spread consistently throughout that interval. =
Lojban can use the cmavo of selma'o TAhE to express the idea of continuous =
or non-continuous actions.
+ =20
+
+
+
+
+
+ mi puzu ze'u velckule
+ I [past] [long distance] [long interval] am-a-school-atte=
ndee (pupil).
+ Long ago I attended school for a long time.
+
+
+ attend school=
primary>example probably does not mean t=
hat I attended school continuously throughout the whole of that long-ago in=
terval. Actually, I attended school every day, except for school holidays. =
More explicitly,
+
+
+
+
+
+ mi puzu ze'u di'i velckule
+ =20
+ I [past] [long distance] [long interval] [regularly] am-a=
-pupil.
+ Long ago I regularly attended school for a long time.
+
+
+ ta'e na'o di'i<=
/primary> ru=
'i reg=
ularlyexample interval spreadmutually=
contrasted The four TAhE cmavo are differentiated =
as follows:=20
+ ru'i covers the entirety of the interval,=20
+ =20
+ di'i covers the parts of the interval which are syste=
matically spaced subintervals;=20
+ =20
+ na'o covers part of the interval, but exactly which p=
art is determined by context;=20
+ =20
+ ta'e covers part of the interval, selected with refer=
ence to the behavior of the actor (who often, but not always, appears in th=
e x1 place of the bridi).
+ =20
+ interval spread=
with unspecified interval Usin=
g TAhE does not require being so specific. Either the time direction or the=
time interval or both may be omitted (in which case they are vague). For e=
xample:
+
+
+
+
+
+ mi ba ta'e klama le zarci
+ =20
+ I [future] [habitually] go-to the market.
+ I will habitually go to the market.
+ I will make a habit of going to the market.
+
+
+ specifies the future, but the duration of the interval is inde=
finite. Similarly,
+
+
+
+
+
+ mi na'o klama le zarci
+ =20
+ I [typically] go-to the market.
+ I typically go/went/will go to the market.
+
+
+ illustrates an interval property in isolation. There are no di=
stance or direction cmavo, so the point of time is vague; likewise, there i=
s no interval cmavo, so the length of the interval during which these going=
s-to-the-market take place is also vague. As always, context will determine=
these vague values.
+ nai intermittentl=
yexample interval spreadexpressing En=
glish "intermittently"=20
+ Intermittently
is the polar opposite notion to=20
+ continuously
, and is expressed not with its own cmavo=
, but by adding the negation suffix=20
+ -nai (which belongs to selma'o NAI) to=
=20
+ ru'i. For example:
+ =20
+
+
+
+
+
+ le verba ru'inai cadzu le bisli
+ The child [continuously-not] walks-on the ice.
+ The child intermittently walks on the ice.
+ =20
+
+
+ interval spread=
negation with nai As shown in =
the cmavo table above, all the cmavo of TAhE may be negated with=20
+ -nai;=20
+ ru'inai and=20
+ di'inai are probably the most useful.=
para>
+ ROI selma'o=
r=
oi onc=
eexample tensequantified<=
/indexterm> quantified tempo=
ral tensedefinition An intermi=
ttent event can also be specified by counting the number of times during th=
e interval that it takes place. The cmavo=20
roi (which belongs to selma'o ROI) can be appended to a=
number to make a quantified tense. Quantified tenses are common in English=
, but not so commonly named: they are exemplified by the adverbs=20
=20
=20
never
,=20
once
,=20
twice
,=20
thrice
, ...=20
always
, and by the related phrases=20
many times
,=20
a few times
,=20
@@ -1467,22 +1469,22 @@
I buy salad ingredients in three locations.
=20
always and everywhere=
example salad ingredientsexample sow grai=
nexample FIXME: TAG SPOT
- ze'e roroi ve'e fe'e roroi ku li re su'i re du li vo [whole t=
ime] [all times] [whole space] [space:] [all places]
- The-number 2 + 2 =3D the-number 4.
+ ze'e roroi ve'e fe'e roroi ku li re su'i re du li vo
+ [whole time] [all times] [whole space] [space:] [all places=
] The-number 2 + 2 =3D the-number 4.
Always and everywhere, two plus two is four.
As shown in=20
, when a tense comes first i=
n a bridi, rather than in its normal position before the selbri (in this ca=
se=20
du), it is emphasized.
be'a ZAhO selma=
'o fe'e =
spatial contoursexpressing The=
=20
fe'e marker can also be used for the same purpose befor=
e members of ZAhO. (The cmavo=20
be'a belongs to selma'o FAhA; it is the space direction=
meaning=20
=20
@@ -3450,35 +3452,40 @@
objective quantified tense flag
noroi
never
paroi
once
- ...
+
+ [N]roi
+ [N] times
+
roroi
always
- etc.
pare'u
the first time
rere'u
the second time
- etc.
+
+ [N]re'u
+ the [N]th time
+
TAhE
subjective quantified tense
di'i
@@ -3591,22 +3598,22 @@
nowhere
fe'eroroi
everywhere
fe'eba'o
beyond
- etc.
+ etc.
MOhI
spatial movement flag
mo'i
motion
@@ -3653,22 +3660,22 @@
tense conversion
jaica
the time of
jaivi
the place of
- etc.
+ etc.
List of spatial directions and direction-like relations
=20
spatial direction=
slist of The following list of=
FAhA cmavo gives rough English glosses for the cmavo, first when used with=
out=20
mo'i to express a direction, and then when used with=20
mo'i to express movement in the direction. When possibl=
e, the gismu from which the cmavo is derived is also listed.
diff --git a/todocbook/Makefile b/todocbook/Makefile
index 76516dd..4d63769 100644
--- a/todocbook/Makefile
+++ b/todocbook/Makefile
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
=20
web: html/index.html
cp docbook2html.css html/
- rm -rf ~/www/public_media/docbook-cll-test
- cp -pr html ~/www/public_media/docbook-cll-test
+ rm -rf ~/www/media/public/tmp/docbook-cll-test
+ cp -pr html ~/www/media/public/tmp/docbook-cll-test
=20
html/index.html: cll.xml
xsltproc --nonet --path . --novalid docbook2html_preprocess.xsl cll.xml >=
cll_processed.xml
xmlto -m docbook2html_config.xsl -o html/ xhtml cll_processed.xml 2>&1 | =
grep -v 'No localization exists for "jbo" or "". Using default "en".'
=20
cll.xml: 1.xml 2.xml 3.xml 4.xml 5.xml 6.xml 7.xml 8.xml 9.xml 10.xml 11.x=
ml 12.xml 13.xml 14.xml 15.xml 16.xml 17.xml 18.xml 19.xml 20.xml 21.xml
merge.sh [0-9].xml 1[0-9].xml 2[0-9].xml
diff --git a/todocbook/TODO b/todocbook/TODO
index d24873c..79e6712 100644
--- a/todocbook/TODO
+++ b/todocbook/TODO
@@ -10,32 +10,20 @@ WRT rafsi: man seems be=
st
Let alone logj-bang-girz
=20
Handling chapter 2: why don't we just require that the number of sub-entri=
es matches?
Also: maybe rename jbo/gloss for this purpose, or introduce roles.
=20
10.xml
=20
- mi cu pu klama le zarci mi pu klama le zarci --
- doubled up
-
-
- Left of a place above me, the man bites the dog.
-
- [snip others]
-
- To my left, the man bites the dog.
-
- -- not really, no.
-
ze'e roroi ve'e fe'e roroi ku li re su'i re du li vo [whole time] [=
all times] [whole space] [space:] [all places]
-- needs a gloss section
=20
once
...
roroi
always
etc.
pare'u
the first time
--=20
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