Date: Thu, 4 Aug 1994 01:39:18 -0400
From: Logical Language Group <lojbab>
Message-Id: <199408040539.AA22011@access3.digex.net>
To: ucleaar@ucl.ac.uk
Subject: Re: current cmene project
Cc: lojbab@access.digex.net, lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu
Status: RO

UC> > So how do you come up with 30-odd variations on a name to get unique
UC> > fu'ivla?  And why bother, when you can arbitraily add a conventional plac
UC> > to each one that is a "location", or make some other adjustment.
UC> 
UC> Because your version of the meaning of 'tcadrlondonu' implies that
UC> 'city named "london"' is a significant & worthwhile category. I
UC> don't think it is. (And the definition wd be fraught with problems
UC> - called 'London' by who?, 'London' defined graphologically, or
UC> phonologically, or what?)

Since you need a place defining what you mean by the city name anyway, I think this would be covered in said place.  I mean, is London refering to
metropolitan London (as most Americans would use it, and I suspect you are as
well), or the little enclave downtown that I recall is what is run by the
incorporated city (my memory on this may be faulty, but I recall that
the UK governement is actually in Westminster which is not part of 
incorparated London, and I think I remember seeing signs about "London city
limits" when I was downtown.

If we are Lojbanizing phonologically, then obviously the fu'ivla and the cmevla
refer to things that Lojbanize to that string of Lojban letters (and also
including things that Lojbanize to "londonu" or whatever the final-vowel added
referent is.

UC> > I dfon;t want to make technical decisions regarding names and fu'ivla
UC> > for this first dictionary - just give some useful examples that will a)
UC> > defuse the cultural gismu question by proving that we can handle non-cult
UC> > gismu cultures as needed and b) shoe people how to make names and fu'ivla
UC> > if they need to.
UC> 
UC> I accept this - I've just been trying to point out how misguided you
UC> are (zoho - honest!).

Of course we are misguided %^).  That is why I want to pass the buck to the 
community to screw up the job of Lojbanizing.  It is much harder to pin
blame on the speaking community (if you are a linguist, that is) - I've never
heard a linguist tell a language speaker that their language was bolluxed up
because something was done illogically according to the pet theories of the
day.

lojbab