Message-Id: <199311151459.AA05625@eli.CS.YALE.EDU>
Date:         Mon, 15 Nov 1993 09:58:51 EST
Reply-To: jorge@PHYAST.PITT.EDU
Sender: Lojban list <LOJBAN%CUVMB.bitnet@YaleVM.YCC.YALE.EDU>
From: Jorge Llambias <jorge@PHYAST.PITT.EDU>
Subject:      Re: more Eaton, anyone?
To: Erik Rauch <rauch>
Status: RO

> #urgency ...
>
> Urgency to me would have to have some kind of vajni in its definition, not
> necessarily sarcu

The urgent doesn't leave time for the important. :)

> JL> > #> A single word for "douanier" would be bargu'ekrabe'itekykurji
> JL> > #I think you need more glue to hold that monster together.
> JL> > Actually, I think you don't --- and I think that's a big problem with
 the
> JL> > morphology algorithm; we expect ourselves to supply that glue. I have
> JL> > proposed making the glue requirements the same for all syllables, rather
> JL> > than them being dispensed with after the second, but Lojbab was against
 i
> JL> But then how do you distinguish it from {bargu'e krabe'i tekykurji}? I
> JL> guess that if you are careful where you place secondary stresses, it is
> JL> possible.
>
> A secondary stress is not a primary stress.  It should be distinctly weaker
> than the primary stress as perceived by the listener, or indeed the morphology
> algorithm breaks down - and on much simpler words.

Ok, but in a ten syllable word, I find it hard not to take a secondary stress
in one of the first eight syllables as primary. I normally expect a stress
every two or three syllables, and if I don't hear one in a string of eight
syllables, my imagination will provide it. For the moment, this is not a
problem for me, because I don't even recognize the meaning of most rafsi,
so it doesn't matter how they fit together, but I expect that for a fluent
speaker it will be important. Pronounce Nick's word for douanier aloud,
but stop at the y. Wouldn't someone hear a primary stress there somewhere?

Jorge