Message-Id: <m0sPXn3-0000YjC@xiron.pc.helsinki.fi>
Date:         Sat, 24 Jun 1995 11:50:21 -0400
Reply-To:     Logical Language Group <lojbab@ACCESS.DIGEX.NET>
Sender:       Lojban list <LOJBAN@CUVMB.BITNET>
From:         Logical Language Group <lojbab@ACCESS.DIGEX.NET>
Subject:      djacu mass example
To:           Veijo Vilva <veion@XIRON.PC.HELSINKI.FI>
Content-Length: 1366
Lines: 30

>I would use {pa djacu} in many situations.  I don't think I would count
>molecules in any situation.  I don't agree that {pa djacu} is the same
>as {pa djacu selci}.  The first is "one quantity of water", the other is
>"one molecule of water".

Well, neither of us are chemists %^)

So let us use "silna" (salt).  We do talk about grains of salt as
distinct from masses and molecules on rare occasions.  I'd use "canre"
for grains of sand which is talked about more often, but that could
arguably be a selci, since sand isn't a pure substance (though I guess a
grain of sand is divisible, so it may still work.)

Or talk of water when there are droplets falling, a puddle on the ground, and
a full rainbarrel nearby.  What does "pa djacu" refer to %^)

>> I can't easily give examples in Lojban, unless I want to write
>> paragraphs.
>
>I wish you would!  One paragraph of Lojban would be worth much more than
>ten posts in English.  :)

As I've said elsewhere, all that would do is lead to discussions of what
the Lojban meant, and whether it was what the speaker intended.  We've
had lots of attempts to talk about Lojban in Lojban here in Lojban
conversation sessions.  Too seldom do all present understand fully, and
I think the success we have is due to the fact that no one can go back
afterwards and try to parse or analyze what we actually did say.

lojbab