Return-Path: <@FINHUTC.HUT.FI:LOJBAN@CUVMB.BITNET> Received: from FINHUTC.hut.fi by xiron.pc.helsinki.fi with smtp (Linux Smail3.1.28.1 #14) id m0pipQ8-0000PYC; Mon, 21 Mar 94 21:13 EET Message-Id: Received: from FINHUTC.HUT.FI by FINHUTC.hut.fi (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 3174; Mon, 21 Mar 94 21:13:39 EET Received: from SEARN.SUNET.SE (NJE origin MAILER@SEARN) by FINHUTC.HUT.FI (LMail V1.1d/1.7f) with BSMTP id 3171; Mon, 21 Mar 1994 21:13:39 +0200 Received: from SEARN.SUNET.SE (NJE origin LISTSERV@SEARN) by SEARN.SUNET.SE (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 1699; Mon, 21 Mar 1994 20:12:30 +0100 Date: Mon, 21 Mar 1994 14:03:27 -0500 Reply-To: Logical Language Group Sender: Lojban list From: Logical Language Group Subject: TECH: Minor Semantic Change TENSE #2 To: lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu Content-Length: 1368 Lines: 36 TENSE #2 CURRENT LANGUAGE: No meaning is currently assigned to ZEhA, VEhA, VIhA, TAhE, ROI cmavo when used as sumti tcita. PROPOSED CHANGE: Interpret the sumti as specifying the interval during which the main bridi is true, thus: 1) mi klama le zarci reroi le cabdei I go-to the market [twice] the current-day I go to the market twice today. RATIONALE: It is useful to be able to specify a particular interval to be used with a tensed bridi. Currently, there is no simple mechanism for doing this, and interval-cmavo sumti tcita stand vacant. The reason that no previous meaning was documented for them was a lack of consistency between the interpretation of directional/metric (PU, ZI, FAhA, VA) sumti tcita and interval ones. However, there is no consistency between the interpretations of directional/ metric sumti tcita and interval-contour (ZAhO) sumti tcita anyway. The former group interpret the seltcita sumti as an origin, whereas the latter group interpret the sumti as the whole process of which the main bridi is a portion. Introducing a third interpretation (namely, sumti as interval) will not make things worse, and fills a hole both in interpretation of grammatical constructs and in speakability. -- John Cowan sharing account for now e'osai ko sarji la lojban.