Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU (psuvm.psu.edu [128.118.56.2]) by locke.ccil.org (8.6.9/8.6.10) with SMTP id KAA25206 for ; Mon, 18 Sep 1995 10:42:31 -0400 Message-Id: <199509181442.KAA25206@locke.ccil.org> Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 3615; Mon, 18 Sep 95 10:24:50 EDT Received: from PSUVM.PSU.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@PSUVM) by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 3630; Mon, 18 Sep 1995 01:22:40 -0400 Date: Mon, 18 Sep 1995 01:21:40 -0400 Reply-To: Logical Language Group Sender: Lojban list From: Logical Language Group Subject: Re: backchannels X-To: jorge@PHYAST.PITT.EDU X-cc: lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu To: John Cowan Status: OR X-From-Space-Date: Mon Sep 18 10:42:33 1995 X-From-Space-Address: <@PSUVM.PSU.EDU:LOJBAN@CUVMB.BITNET> Well, it is only the same idiom as English in back-translation, since we would no longer say "you're welcome" to express hospitality or invitation. I also would not use it globally, as I would the English idiom. For example, I would not use fi'i in response to ki'e in response to my doing a favor - rather I would just use a simple acknowledgement, or maybe elaborate with an observative like "rolpluka" implying "we are both pleased" as an alternative to "my pleasure", or "nalnabmi or "nalgunka" or nalraktu for the coresponding English idioms. The conception of fi'i was specifically for the ke'o/ki'e/fi'i interchange of requesting something from a "host" in polite society. lojbab