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 #1) id m0qlUfQ-00005LC; Fri, 16 Sep 94 07:12 EET DST Message-Id: Received: from FINHUTC.HUT.FI by FINHUTC.hut.fi (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 7106; Fri, 16 Sep 94 07:11:29 EET Received: from SEARN.SUNET.SE (NJE origin MAILER@SEARN) by FINHUTC.HUT.FI (LMail V1.1d/1.7f) with BSMTP id 7103; Fri, 16 Sep 1994 07:11:29 +0200 Received: from SEARN.SUNET.SE (NJE origin LISTSERV@SEARN) by SEARN.SUNET.SE (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 4377; Fri, 16 Sep 1994 06:10:18 +0200 Date: Thu, 15 Sep 1994 23:39:24 -0400 Reply-To: Logical Language Group Sender: Lojban list From: Logical Language Group Subject: Re: TECH: Any old thing whatsoever (was RE: do djica loi ckafi je'i tcati) X-To: i.alexander.bra0125@oasis.icl.co.uk X-cc: lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu To: Veijo Vilva Content-Length: 578 Lines: 14 A major reason why "loi tanxe" should work in Lojban is that in Lojban, singular plural is a marked distinction, AND that all nouns can be considered as mass nouns. You do not, in English, typically say "I need *a* water", you say "I need water", and leave the quantity of the mass to be determinable from context. If you need to be specific, you say something like "I need a glass of water", or "I need a liter of water". One way to do this in Lojban, for boxes is "mi nitcu pa selci poi tanxe" "I need one indivisible subunit of the mass of boxes." Does this help? lojbab