Return-Path: <@SEGATE.SUNET.SE:LOJBAN@CUVMB.BITNET> Received: from SEGATE.SUNET.SE by xiron.pc.helsinki.fi with smtp (Linux Smail3.1.28.1 #1) id m0sB4KH-0009acC; Mon, 15 May 95 20:53 EET DST Message-Id: Received: from segate.sunet.se by SEGATE.SUNET.SE (LSMTP for OpenVMS v0.1a) with SMTP id EE1E8255 ; Mon, 15 May 1995 19:52:53 +0100 Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 13:31:13 -0400 Reply-To: John Cowan Sender: Lojban list From: John Cowan Subject: Vocatives (was: Questions) X-To: Lojban List To: Veijo Vilva In-Reply-To: <199505130030.UAA00257@locke.ccil.org> from "jorge@PHYAST.PITT.EDU" at May 12, 95 12:41:35 pm Content-Length: 1270 Lines: 25 > > la xorxes. cusku di'e > > > > > {ki'e danfu} means "thank you Answer", i.e. you are using {danfu} as > > > a name. Probably you meant {i ckire fi tu'a le danfu} > > > > No, "ki'e danfu" means "ki'e lo danfu"; old-timers will recognize this as > > the "Hey, girl with the red hair" problem ("joi xunkrexli"). should have been: ju'i > What's the difference? You mean that instead of "name" I should have > said that it's the vocative case of "answer"? That's what I meant > to say by "using it as a name". Ah. I read your remark as saying that "ki'e danfu" was synonymous with "ki'e la danfu", probably triggered by your capitalization of "Answer", as if it were a proper name. The form "COI predicate" is intended to be used in situations where you want to attract someone's attention by giving a description which the listener recognizes as a characterization of him/herself. This description must be veridical, because otherwise the listener has to read your mind. To get the attention of someone named Bear, you have to say "ju'i la cribe", for "ju'i cribe" will probably get a growl in response. :-) -- John Cowan cowan@ccil.org e'osai ko sarji la lojban.