Return-Path: Message-Id: <9201171449.AA00673@relay2.UU.NET> Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1992 09:42:36 EST Reply-To: "Mark E. Shoulson" Sender: Lojban list From: "Mark E. Shoulson" Subject: The dreaded word "only" X-To: lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu To: John Cowan In-Reply-To: Major's message of Fri, 17 Jan 1992 14:05:23 +1100 Status: RO X-From-Space-Date: Fri Jan 17 13:03:44 1992 X-From-Space-Address: cbmvax!uunet!cuvma.bitnet!LOJBAN Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1992 14:05:23 +1100 From: Major "Mark E. Shoulson" writes: > "lat." is not a valid cmene for the same reason as above (tho in > this case it's hard to see how it would break up; even if you > consider it to be syllabic [with buffer vowel], I doubt most would accept > "t." as a cmene). "T" is the name of the truth constant in most implementations of lisp. A discussion of a lisp program might well want to refer to "the thing named 'T'". Moral: No exceptions! Dig a hole and someone *will* fall in it. I agree that there should be no exceptions, my comment was only tangential. However, I don't think that even ardent LISPers will use "la t." to name the truth value. After all, in English we call it "T", pronouncing it /ti/ and not /t/; that is, calling it by the letter's name. The letter "T" has a name in Lojban, "ty". That's not a valid cmene, and it can't be used after "la", but it's a small matter to make it "la tyt.", a far more pronouncable name. More likely, however, people would probably just use "ty", just like you can use "ny" or "xy" for variables in a mathematical expression. I doubt you need to resort to cmene here. Major ~mark o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o N2KOT Mark E. Shoulson: shoulson@ctr.columbia.edu