Date:  Thu, 16 Oct 1997 22:29:52 -0500 (EST)
Message-Id: <199710170329.WAA01184@locke.ccil.org>
Reply-To: Chris Bogart <cbogart@QUETZAL.COM>
Sender: Lojban list <LOJBAN@CUVMB.BITNET>
From: Chris Bogart <cbogart@QUETZAL.COM>
Subject:      Re: ka/ni kama
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To: John Cowan <cowan@LOCKE.CCIL.ORG>
In-Reply-To:  <199710160115.TAA06061@indra.com>
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On Wed, 15 Oct 1997, JORGE JOAQUIN LLAMBIAS wrote:
>  >> First, what do you need to express "3 meters" as a sumti for?
> >
> >It is a concept I can hold in my mind; if I cannot express it, then
> >why am I wasting my time with this language?
>
> I can't answer that for you. :)

I'm studying Spanish right now and am finding that there are a few Spanish
words that I can *explain* in English but I can't really translate well.
That doesn't mean English is a waste of time to learn.  Pe'i "3 meters"
could be explained in Lojban, if only you could first figure out what we
really mean by it.  Maybe {le'e mitre be li ci} or {le si'o makau mitre li
3} or {le ka ce'u mitre li ci} or even {le sidbrplatono be loi ro mitre be
li ci}.

co'o mi'e kris