From: Logical Language Group <lojbab>
Message-Id: <199408011401.AA28366@access2.digex.net>
Subject: Re: ga'i[nai]
To: lojbab@access.digex.net (Logical Language Group)
Date: Mon, 1 Aug 1994 10:01:30 -0400 (ADT)
Cc: lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu
In-Reply-To: <199407300303.AA24319@access1.digex.net> from "Logical Language Group" at Jul 29, 94 11:03:50 pm
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Status: RO

mi pu cusku di'e

>> One
>> deficiency of the current system is that there is no way of indicating
>> the relative ranks of two things/persons neither of whom is the speaker:
>> the system cannot be manipulated into referring to, say, "Your Majesty's
>> hovel", indicating that the house's rank is much lower than the
>> listener's.

la lojbab. cusku di'e

> I disagree.  With 7 levels, more or less, of honorific, there should be 
> plenty of room.  How about "ledo ga'inaicai zdaniga'icai" which puts the
> Emperor many levels above you and his house an equal number of levels
> below you.

Yes, but this is still speaker-centered.  There is no way to express the
relationship between the Emperor and his hovel without reference to oneself.
The above form works if you are of middle rank; if you are Pooh-Bah, Lord
High Everything Else, you need to say:

		le doga'inairu'e zdani ga'icai

whereas if you are a mere Second Trombone, you must say:

		le doga'inaicai zdani ga'iru'e

(Nit: "zdaniga'icai" in your example is a le'avla: you need to insert
a space or mark stress.)

-- 
John Cowan		sharing account <lojbab@access.digex.net> for now
		e'osai ko sarji la lojban.