Date: Fri, 16 Dec 1994 15:39:31 -0500
From: Logical Language Group <lojbab@ACCESS.DIGEX.NET>
Subject: Esperanto word order (was: Q-kau)
In-reply-to: <199412160054.AA23785@nfs1.digex.net> from "jorge@PHYAST.PITT.EDU"
 at Dec 15, 94 02:54:57 pm
Sender: Lojban list <LOJBAN@CUVMB.BITNET>
To: Veijo Vilva <veion@XIRON.PC.HELSINKI.FI>
Reply-to: Logical Language Group <lojbab@ACCESS.DIGEX.NET>
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la xorxes. cusku di'e

>         Cxiu amas iun.
>         Everybody loves somebody.
>
>         Iun amas cxiu.
>         Everybody loves somebody.
>
>         Iu estas amata de cxiu.
>         Somebody is loved by everybody.
>
>         De cxiu estas amata iu.
>         By everybody, somebody is loved.
>
> And you can make more combinations. To me it seems that the difference in
> scope is handled by using the participle, like English does, but you can
> still play with the word order.

My reading of this is that the surface order of sumti doesn't matter, whereas
the presence or absence of a "se" conversion does matter.  This is precisely
the notion you say "would be really confusing, and [you] don't see the point
of it" in response to Lojbab.  Now admittedly,

> Esperanto certainly does not claim to reflect predicate logic.

but what's sauce for one might well have some piquancy for the other, no?

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