Return-Path: Received: from SEGATE.SUNET.SE by xiron.pc.helsinki.fi with smtp (Linux Smail3.1.28.1 #1) id m0tBpyt-0000ZSC; Sat, 4 Nov 95 23:18 EET Message-Id: Received: from listmail.sunet.se by SEGATE.SUNET.SE (LSMTP for OpenVMS v1.0a) with SMTP id ED69B3DF ; Sat, 4 Nov 1995 22:18:27 +0100 Date: Sat, 4 Nov 1995 13:16:41 -0800 Reply-To: MarkLVines@EWORLD.COM Sender: Lojban list From: "Mark L. Vines" Subject: Rafsi Repair Proposal: 1 X-To: LOJBAN@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu To: Veijo Vilva Content-Length: 9006 Lines: 194 Okay. My "Rafsi Repair Proposal" is an alternative to the current system of short rafsi & lujvo compounds in Lojban. My primary purpose in proposing this alternative is to eliminate what I call homophone affix ambiguity, a defect of the current system in which hundreds of short rafsi are identical to cmavo with unrelated meanings. I'd appreciate any _constructive_ criticism. My goals are: to work with the existing gismu & cmavo; to provide at least one short rafsi for every gismu; & to eliminate homophone affix ambiguity. The current system of short rafsi & lujvo compounds in Lojban does suffer IMO from other defects besides homophone affix ambiguity. However, my "Rafsi Repair Proposal" will not address the other defects, because I don't want to sacrifice compatibility with the existing gismu & cmavo. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Okay. My proposal will make use of the following NOTATION: C = any Lojbanic consonant (17 variations) A = any Lojbanic vowel except y (5 variations); equivalent to V in the conventional notation C1 = the first consonant in a gismu C2 = the second consonant in a gismu C3 = the third consonant in a gismu A1 = the first vowel in a gismu A2 = the second vowel in a gismu IU = any Lojbanic diphthong (16 variations) EI = any of the following diphthongs (5 variations): ai au ei oi ui; possibly a subset of IU (unless we have to add eu for a total of 6 variations) ST = any of the "permissible initials" (48 variations), which are consonant pairs that can start a Lojbanic syllable DL = any of the "permissible medials" (179 variations), which are consonant pairs that can occur inside a gismu ND = any consonant pair that can end a monosyllabic rafsi (76 variations); a subset of DL; table at end of posting; we could call ND pairs "permissible finals," but as a rule they terminate only non-word-final syllables, not words In later postings, I'll also discuss: XR = any DL consonant pair which is not ND (103 variations) TK = any XR consonant pair which is not ST (not yet counted) IE = any Lojbanic IU diphthong which is not EI (11 variations) IA = a not-yet-defined subset of IE (about 7 variations) SP = any ST consonant pair which can precede any IA diphthong = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Okay. In this proposal, short rafsi can take the following FORMS: CIU => these rafsi are reserved for those cmavo identical to them; gismu are _not_ eligible for CIU rafsi CA'A => these rafsi are reserved for those cmavo identical to them; gismu are _not_ eligible for CA'A rafsi STAC => reserved primarily for the corresponding STACA gismu CAND => reserved primarily for the corresponding CANDA gismu CAC => although several of these rafsi are reserved for CA cmavo, gismu _are_ eligible for CAC rafsi STA => gismu are eligible STEI => gismu are eligible In later postings, I'll also discuss: SPIA => gismu are eligible = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Okay. Now let's talk about NUMBERS of short rafsi available for gismu. The total STAC "rafsi space" allows for 4080 variations. However, these rafsi are primarily reserved for STACA gismu (equivalent to CCVCV gismu in conventional notation). Practically, therefore, we have as many STAC rafsi as we have STACA gismu. By my current estimate, that number is 331. In the future, perhaps some of the remaining 3749 possible STAC rafsi can be assigned to new gismu, or to le lebna valsi. Meanwhile, we still have 1009 gismu left without any short rafsi. These are all CADLA gismu (equivalent to CVCCV gismu in conventional notation.) The total CAND "rafsi space" allows for 6460 variations. However, these rafsi are primarily reserved for CANDA gismu (a _subset_ of the CADLA gismu, just as the 76 ND consonant pairs are a subset of the 179 DL pairs). Practically, therefore, we have as many CAND rafsi as we have CANDA gismu. By my current estimate, that number is 477. Someday, perhaps some of the remaining 5983 possible CAND rafsi can be assigned to new gismu, or to le lebna valsi. At the moment, we still have 532 gismu left without any short rafsi. (These are all CAXRA gismu, which can be divided into CASTA gismu & CATKA gismu.) The total CAC "rafsi space" allows for 1445 variations. Several of these are reserved for short cmavo such as se, te, ve & xe. Out of the CAC rafsi not assigned to cmavo, 532 are reserved for the remaining (CAXRA) gismu. At this point, every gismu has at least one monosyllabic rafsi, & there are still several hundred CAC rafsi left over, which can be assigned to any eligible STACA & CANDA gismu whose ST or ND pairs make their STAC or CAND rafsi difficult to pronounce. We will IMO want to use all the CAC forms. Neither STAC nor CAND nor CAC rafsi can occur in word-final position. Only STA & STEI rafsi have that capability. The total STA "rafsi space" allows for only 240 variations, & we'll want to use all the STA forms. The total STEI "rafsi space" allows for only 240 variations, unless we add the diphthong eu (not currently Lojbanic), which would increase that total by another 48, for a new sum of 288. We'll want to use all of the STEI forms as well. Obviously, one great weakness of my "Rafsi Repair Proposal" is the small number (present maximim 528) of word-final short rafsi. We will have to be very selective in deciding which gismu are entitled to monosyllabic word-finals, because 528 is less than half of the 1340 existing gismu. Of course, this weakness is a direct consequence of my refusal to assign CIU & CA'A rafsi forms to any gismu. But some such refusal is required for the elimination of homophone affix ambiguity. We may also want to consider adding another word-final short rafsi form, namely, the SPIA rafsi, where SP is a subset of ST (the 48 initial consonant pairs permitted in Lojban), & IA is a subset of IU (the 16 diphthongs). I haven't yet identified the SP consonant pairs or the IA diphthongs, but SPIA would be a pronounceable region of the STIU "rafsi space." (Not everything in STIU can be easily pronounced as a single syllable. Try saying "mlua xriu jvio kluy vliy" real fast a few times, saying the vowel pairs as diphthongs, & you'll see what I mean.) Such a new rafsi form would add maybe 252 or so to our list of word-final short rafsi, for a new maximum of 780: one word-final rafsi each for more than half the existing gismu. Thus, my "Rafsi Repair Proposal" assigns at least one monosyllabic rafsi apiece to every existing gismu. It guarantees that between 480 gismu (without eu in STEI & without SPIA) & about 780 gismu (with both eu & SPIA) are also assigned a word-final monosyllabic rafsi. Once the word-final short rafsi have been assigned, reassignment of some CAC rafsi may prove to be desirable. After all, a gismu which has a STA, STEI or SPIA rafsi may not need a given CAC as much as another gismu does. But even to speak of such trade-offs is to acknowledge that my "Rafsi Repair Proposal" is not especially elegant or consistent. Its only real virtue, besides eliminating homophone affix ambiguity, is its compatibility with the gismu & cmavo already existing in Lojban. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Okay. Here's a TABLE of ND pairs ("permissible finals" -- consonant pairs which are not word-final but merely internal-syllable-final): -b -c -d -f -g -j -k -l -m -n -p -r -s -t -v -x -z b- bd bj bv bz c- ck cp ct d- dj dv dz f- fk fp ft g- gd gj gv gz j- jb jd jg k- kc kf ks kt l- lb lc ld lf lj lm ln lp ls lt lv lz m- mb mc mf mp ms n- nc nd nf ns nt p- pc pf ps pt r- rb rc rd rf rg rj rk rm rn rp rs rt rv rz s- sk sp st t- tc tf ts v- vb vd vg x- z- zb zd zg This table is certainly open to revision. At present it includes 76 pairs. Please note that acceptance of the proposed ND table & CAND rafsi will require extending the phonological rules of lujvo compound formation (& -y- or -r- hyphenation) to cover ND,C triples & ND,ST quartets. (All consonant triples currently take the form C,ST; also, under the current system, quartets occur only in some cases of -r- hyphenation.) Naturally, any change in this table will also change the number of CAND rafsi. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = co'o mi'e mark,l