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Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 13:29:01 +0100
From: Zefram <zefram@fysh.org>
To: lojban-list@lojban.org
Subject: [lojban] Re: names of the elements
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Pierre Abbat wrote:
>Type 3 fu'ivla are, as long as they end in one vowel (see valfendi, which 
>implements the fu'ivla rafsi tests), but some type 4 fu'ivla, such as 
>{mlibdena}, are not. But we can always use {zei}.

{zei} is an ugliness that we shouldn't need when talking about things
this fundamental.

I've replicated on the wiki page those changes that you've made on
your page.

>       I'm not sure {silnysodna} is good, as "salt" in chemistry refers to a 
>wide variety of ionic compounds, not just sodium chloride.

Indeed, but it's not necessary for the characteristic used to identify
the element to be unique to that element.  Do you have a better suggestion
for sodium?

>I also added Db-Ds; I'm not sure what to do with "ntg" in Rg.

I thought about that too, and came to the opinion that the "g" would
have to lose its voicing, yielding "jinmlrontkeni".

I'm now going through the fu'ivla systematically, to devise native
Lojbanic names for the elements.  Working on the same lines as the
suggestions I made for Ru, Rh, and Cs, I've come up with the following
to duplicate English etymologies:

zirconium: {slosmijinme} gold-like metal
molybdenum: {nisysmijinme} lead-like metal
lanthanum: {mipstajinme} lying-hidden metal
dysprosium: {nadycpajinme} hard-to-get metal
osmium: {sumnyjinme} smell metal
iridium: {tanbagjinme} rainbow metal
platinum: {cmarijyjinme} little silver metal
thallium: {ninjicyjinme} new twig metal
astatine: {nalstokliru} unstable halogen
actinium: {nenli'ijinme} beam metal

Also, along the lines of the existing {fagycevjinme} for promethium and
{lidycevjinme} for thorium:

cerium: {grucevjinme} cereal god metal
uranium: {tancevjinme} sky god metal
neptunium: {xasycevjinme} sea god metal

I also wonder about translating the names based on a proper name by
translating the underlying name:

nobelium: {noljinme} noble metal

I have a book of etymologies of English surnames, but most of the
surnames in question aren't very English, so it's of limited utility.
I've traced "Lawrence" to "laurel" and "Seaborg" to "sea fortress",
but haven't attempted translations of those yet.

-zefram