Date: Wed, 21 Dec 1994 14:23:53 -0500 (EST)
From: jorge@PHYAST.PITT.EDU
Subject: Re: Suggestions?
Sender: Lojban list <LOJBAN@CUVMB.BITNET>
To: Veijo Vilva <veion@XIRON.PC.HELSINKI.FI>
Reply-to: jorge@PHYAST.PITT.EDU
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la kris. cusku di'e
> > > Similarly, would "va lei ze mitre" mean "seven meters away" or "a medium
> > > distance away from the mass of seven one-meter-long-things"?

la xorxes. cusku di'e
> > The first one seems much more useful, but I don't know.

la djan cusku di'e

> Unfortunately, the second translation is correct.  "ze mitre" does not, not,
> {ba'e} not mean "seven meters": it {sa'e} means "seven lengths which are
> one meter each", or {sa'enai} "seven things which are a meter long each".
> This is the general Loglan/Lojban pattern of the measurement words, and it is
> very {nalglico} and indeed {nalropno}.

But that is not the problem. Use {va le mitre be li ze} if you prefer,
the question still stands. Is {le mitre be li ze} specifying the length
{va} or is it the starting point? I think the first is more useful, but
probably the second is what is implied by the grammar paper.

(Also, I have no problem in assuming that the seven lengths considered
as a mass are one after the other to give a total length of 7 meters.
For other measurements, like kilos, you have to assume even less.)

Jorge