From lojban@cuvmb.bitnet Sat Jul 27 00:56:56 1996 Received: from punt4.demon.co.uk by stryx.demon.co.uk with SMTP id AA13342 ; Sat, 27 Jul 96 00:56:54 BST Received: from punt-4.mail.demon.net by mailstore for ia@stryx.demon.co.uk id 838340961:03591:2; Fri, 26 Jul 96 01:29:21 BST Received: from cunyvm.cuny.edu ([128.228.1.2]) by punt-4.mail.demon.net id aa03257; 26 Jul 96 1:28 +0100 Received: from CUVMB.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU by CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (IBM VM SMTP V2R3) with BSMTP id 4956; Thu, 25 Jul 96 20:28:12 EDT Received: from CUVMB.COLUMBIA.EDU by CUVMB.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU (Mailer R2.07) with BSMTP id 5244; Thu, 25 Jul 96 20:27:56 EDT Date: Fri, 26 Jul 1996 01:21:14 +0100 Reply-To: Colin Fine Sender: Lojban list From: Colin Fine Subject: Re: may the wind be always at your back X-To: Lojban list To: Multiple recipients of list LOJBAN In-Reply-To: <838323171.25315.0@vms.dc.lsoft.com> Message-ID: <838340907.3257.0@cunyvm.cuny.edu> Status: R vecu'u le notci po'u <838323171.25315.0@vms.dc.lsoft.com> la Chris Bogart cu cusku di'e >> I'm trying to figure out how to say "may the wind be always at your >> back." What I've got so far is: >> >> ko cu stoga'e le rixfarbi'e ku >> (I command you to)constantly feel the wind from the behind-direction >> >> Basically I'm trying to figure out how to express the "may you" bit. I >> was thinking of using "pacna" (wish/hope/expect), but I'm not sure how to >> say "I hope that xyz is true" without having to resort to "xyz. I hope >> that ko'a is true". > >I don't have my gi'uste with me, but what you put looks good grammatically. >Another way you might try it is using .a'o > >As for grammar -- you don't need the "cu" or the "ku", but they are >acceptable -- it's a question of what style you prefer. > >co'o mi'e kris Yes, that's precisely what UI are for. Furthermore, I don't think you want "ko" here - it's not a command to the hearer. I would say do stoga'e le rixfarbi'e a'o or more laconically roroi brife le do trixe .a'o (at all times something is a wind from the rear of you [hope]) This is still fairly literal, and probably not really what is wanted. Better still would be brife nagi'a trixe .a'o do (something is a wind only-if [it] is-behind [hope] you). co'o mi'e kolin -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | Colin Fine 66 High Ash, Shipley, W Yorks. BD18 1NE, UK | | Tel: 01274 592696 e-mail: colin@kindness.demon.co.uk | | "Losing is a state of mind, not a fact of life." -K.B.Brown | -----------------------------------------------------------------------