Date:  Fri, 19 Dec 1997 22:35:55 -0500 (EST)
Message-Id: <199712200335.WAA05816@locke.ccil.org>
Reply-To: Chris Bogart <cbogart@QUETZAL.COM>
Sender: Lojban list <LOJBAN@CUVMB.BITNET>
From: Chris Bogart <cbogart@QUETZAL.COM>
Subject:      Re: wants and needs
X-To:         lojban <lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu>
To: John Cowan <cowan@LOCKE.CCIL.ORG>
Status: OR
X-Mozilla-Status: 0011
Content-Length: 787
X-From-Space-Date: Fri Dec 19 22:36:02 1997
X-From-Space-Address: LOJBAN@CUVMB.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU

Robin wrote to another list:
> mi cu         nitcu la      feraris. le     nu      se         djica  =
ninmu
> I  [function] need [article]Ferrari[article][event] ["passive"]desire =
women
> I need a Ferrari in order to be desired by women.

I would translate this as "I need a ferrari in order to be a desireable =
woman".  If you want "woman" to be a sumti, you need an article.

Also, note that you don't need {cu} here, although it's allowed.

> I could also say simply "mi cu nitcu la porc.", but this would
> automatically invite the response "cu nitcu ko'a ma" (need it (for) =
what?).

You can't start a sentence with {cu}.   Just {nitcu ko'a ma} or {nitcu =
fi ma} would work fine.  I guess the former is clearer when laying out =
these sentences for a naljbo audience.

Chris.