Message-Id: <199310182125.AA27972@eli.CS.YALE.EDU>
Date:         Mon, 18 Oct 1993 17:22:17 -0400
Reply-To: querist@BIX.COM
Sender: Lojban list <LOJBAN%CUVMB.bitnet@YaleVM.YCC.YALE.EDU>
From: Glyn Gowing <querist@BIX.COM>
Subject:      Some questions about the text
To: Erik Rauch <rauch>
Status: RO

Let's see if this makes it to the list...

I've just started with the proposed texbook lessons, and have already hit
some philosophical questions concerning the usage and meanings of
certain brivla:

(these are all from lesson 1, exercise 1-2, p13 in my copy of the book)

cpana  3: x1 is on/upon [the top surface of] x2 in reference
          frame/gravity x3

that's no problem, but:

sanli  3: x1 stands [is vertically oriented] on surface x2 supported
          by pedistle/limbs x3.

does leave me with a question.  I would think that it would be appropriate
to add a 4th cmavo (is that the right word? i'm new at this) to sanli to
indicate reference frame/gravity.  A proposed redefinition would be:

*sanli  x1 stands [is vertically oriented] on surface x2 supported by
        pedistal/limbs x3 in reference to gravity/reference frame x4.

I will assume that there is some reason why this was not done, and i
am missing something fairly obvious.  What am i missing?

prenu leaves me with a question:  how do you define a personality?
animals often demonstrate distinctive 'personalities'.  My siamese
is very loving and affectionat to me only, and aloof to everyone else,
including my wife.  On the other hand, one of my other cats (of unknown
breed) is friendly towards just about anyone.

Finally, colours:

blanu   x1 is blue
xunre   x1 is red

what exactly do you mean by red?  what exactly do you mean by blue?
Different languages/peoples demarcate the boundries between colours
differently.  An example: in English, one would speak of a goose being
grey.  In Welsh, the same goose would be described with the word glas,
which is usually translated into english as blue.  Welsh has a word
which is translated as grey (llwyd), but that is not the proper word
to use in that situation.

Thank you for your time, folks!

One more quick question: is there some sort of email 'postal' mini-course
like the one being offered for Esperanto?  I think that something like that
would be really useful to help beginners (such as myself) with starting out
because there would be someone there to check answers and provide feedback.

Thanks@!

-glyn thomas gowing