X-Digest-Num: 62 Message-ID: <44114.62.233.959273824@eGroups.com> Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 16:54:01 -0500 From: John Cowan Subject: Re: I'm new, and I have questions, damnit. X-Yahoo-Message-Num: 233 Content-Length: 1567 Lines: 51 Avital Oliver/biOmass wrote: > a) What the estimate on the number of Lojban speakers worldwide? Hard to say, and it depends on the definition of "speaker". There are probably no truly fluent speakers. Some face-to-face and IRC conversations have been held in Lojban, though. > b) Some technical questions: > > How would I say, "Does anyone talk?" > [mainly, the anyone is my problem] xu da tavla Is-it-the-case-that an-X-exists-who talks? See the chapter on logic. > How would I say, "Who talks to himself?" > I'd think it's `mi tavla mi', but according to the lessons, that would > be, "Who talks, and to whom?" I think you mean "ma" rather than "mi"; "mi tavla mi" is "I talk to myself". Your interpretation of "ma tavla ma" is correct. The simplest way is probably ma tavla ri What-sumti? talks-to [referent of last sumti] Who talks to himself/herself/themselves? > [BTW: Is the book worth buying? I mean, are the lessons on lojban.org > enough?] The version on lojban.org is very close to the final copy, but it's less easy to handle, and if you want a hard copy it's probably cheaper to buy the book than to print it yourself. The binding is library-grade as well as very attractive. Also, buying the book helps support the language! (I don't get any royalties, so I am quite disinterested here.) -- John Cowan http://www.ccil.org/~cowan cowan@ccil.org You tollerday donsk? N. You tolkatiff scowegian? Nn. You spigotty anglease? Nnn. You phonio saxo? Nnnn. Clear all so! 'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)