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Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 18:00:32 -0500
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To: "lojban@onelist.com" <lojban@onelist.com>
Subject: Re: [lojban] Translating names
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From: John Cowan <jcowan@reutershealth.com>
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Quantum Seep wrote:

> For example, if Bear wrote this book (as on page 124), should I say
> a) "la cribe pu finti le vi cukta" or b) "la criben pu finti le vi
> cukta".  In (a) I leave the name as a gismu, while in (b) I attempt
> to turn it into a cmene by adding an "n".

The trouble with cmene is that they might mean something, and then
again they might not.  "criben" could be interpreted as a pair
of rafsi:  "cri-ben" = "cirko besna" (loser-brain), as in your
example below.  "cribe" can't be misinterpreted.  But you may not care.

>  Also, in the case of (b),
> are the final letters "s" and "n" preferred, and if so, why?

Historical accident.  You are perfectly free to add "vzv" if you prefer.
 
> An example is the name
> "lojban" which is formed from rafsi for "logji" and "bangu."  Is this
> a preferred way of constructing names when they are made from tanru?
> Could the language just as well have been called "la lojbangu"
> (lujvo)or "la lojbangun" (cmene)?

Yes.

> Isn't a person's name
> also just a referent?  Then why couldn't refer to the person named
> Bear as "la'e lu cribe li'u"?  Or could I?  What would be the
> connotation?

That works too.  TMTOWTDI (there's more than one way to do it).

-- 

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