Return-Path: Date: Mon, 22 Jul 91 15:12:29 EDT From: "Arthur W. Protin Jr." (GC-ACCURATE) To: lojban-list@snark.thyrsus.com Subject: Re: response to art protin on 'nu' Message-Id: <9107221512.aa12930@COR4.PICA.ARMY.MIL> Status: RO X-From-Space-Date: Mon Jul 22 15:43:00 1991 X-From-Space-Address: cbmvax!uunet!PICA.ARMY.MIL!protin Folks, I stirred it up by asking why "nu" ("event") wwas used for things that I thought were states. I spoke of a view that I shared with the Webster's dictionary that there was negligable overlap between the concepts for the English words "event" and "state". The answer that I am internalizing is that "event" is just an English handle for the concept behind "nu" and that most of the common interpretations of "event" are packed into "activity" ("zu'o") or "achievement" ("mu'e"). Now Dave Matuszek and John Cowan are arguing as to the sensibility of talking about "the activity of sleeping". This is a very natural concept for me and if this bothers you I have even more extreme views to inflict on you. Clearly the null action is an action. I don't accept John's justification: > Anything that has a repetitive component can be viewed as an activity. I don't find it necessary. I agree that > Sleeping can readily be thought of as an activity but forget all the motion. It is what occupies the entirety of my attention. It is what I am doing. Other "activities" that involve no directed motion include waiting and ignoring. I will continue to work on this. Can anybody give me a reference to the the Aristotelian categorization of events? I have never heard of it before. thank you all, Art Arthur Protin These are my personal views and do not reflect those of my boss or this installation.