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 m0rElJ8-00007GC; Mon, 5 Dec 94 23:50 EET Message-Id: Received: from FINHUTC.HUT.FI by FINHUTC.hut.fi (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 0395; Mon, 05 Dec 94 23:51:08 EET Received: from SEARN.SUNET.SE (NJE origin MAILER@SEARN) by FINHUTC.HUT.FI (LMail V1.1d/1.7f) with BSMTP id 0393; Mon, 5 Dec 1994 23:51:08 +0200 Received: from SEARN.SUNET.SE (NJE origin LISTSERV@SEARN) by SEARN.SUNET.SE (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 3971; Mon, 5 Dec 1994 22:47:49 +0100 Date: Mon, 5 Dec 1994 16:40:36 -0500 Reply-To: Logical Language Group Sender: Lojban list From: Logical Language Group Subject: Re: lohe, lehe & ka X-To: Lojban List To: Veijo Vilva In-Reply-To: <199412020515.AA18711@nfs1.digex.net> from "ucleaar" at Dec 2, 94 01:19:41 am Content-Length: 1251 Lines: 31 la .and. cusku di'e > > > Say there's a pile of papers on my left and a pile of papers on my > > > right. I can't differentiate between each individual sheet of paper, > > > but I can differentiate between the two piles. This is what I > > > meant by distinguishing between masses. For you, we would have > > > "re pisuho loi papri". la xorxes. cusku di'e > > No, I never said that. "repisu'o" is a single number, two point something. > > You can't easily quantify over fractions of the total mass. la .and. cusku di'e > Am I commiting some logical fallacy in assuming we can quantify over > fractions? I don't see why. Or do you mean it's difficult to do it > in Lojban? It's not difficult per se, but needs more machinery than you provide. Consecutive number-strings coalesce in Lojban, so "re pisu'o" is, as Jorge says, "repisu'o", which is not immediately interpretable; it probably means "a number greater than 2, but less than 3", but might also signify "2, which in this context represents a part of the whole quantity". As I said in an earlier posting, "re lo pisu'o loi papri" gets two portions of the paper-blob. -- John Cowan sharing account for now e'osai ko sarji la lojban.