Message-Id: <9202262316.AA19157@relay2.UU.NET>
Date:         Wed, 26 Feb 1992 17:03:39 -0500
Reply-To: Logical Language Group <cbmvax!uunet!cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu!lojbab>
Sender: Lojban list <cbmvax!uunet!cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu!LOJBAN>
From: Logical Language Group <cbmvax!uunet!cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu!lojbab>
Subject:      dates
To: John Cowan <cowan@snark.thyrsus.com>
Status: RO

The principal reason fro dates being ordered as day/month/year in
our standard teaching materials, and in the place structure of detri,
is that, regardless of 'significance' in the sense of largest amount/period,
the most significant information typicall conveyed about the date is the day
- we usually know and don't need to express the month.  Thus when you
ellipsize, you leave out first the AD/BC, then the year, than the month,
then the day.

Lojban places great importance on unambiguous ellipsis, and generally assumes
that the most important-to-express information comes first, and that ellipsis
takes place on the end.  To have year first, you would need some kind
of place holder, or some very arcane and complex convention (like we have in
English) for interpreting dates.

(THis is a problem not just in language of course.  My data base system
wants all dates to have a day month and year explicitly expressed.  I record
people's contacts to me by date when available, but sometimes have only a month
in my notes.  Thus I have to 'invent' a day to fill in.  I don't like this,
and if I want to meet you on the 28th, I don't want to have to say in
Lojban that I will meet you on the -/-/28th).)

lojbab