Date: Sun, 20 May 2007 10:02:27 -0700
To: lojban-beginners@lojban.org
Subject: [lojban-beginners] Re: balcurnu (take two)
Message-ID: <20070520170226.GJ7871@digitalkingdom.org>
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From: Robin Lee Powell <rlpowell@digitalkingdom.org>
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On Sun, May 20, 2007 at 09:17:56AM -0700, ANDREW PIEKARSKI wrote:
> I have a problem with the translation of 'Great Worm'. Surely,
> {balcurnu} means a very big worm, 

A lujvo means whatever its coiner wants it to mean.  The underlying
tanru {banli curnu}, does not definately mean "very big worm",
though.  It could, but banli does not specify the type of greatness:

 banli bal     ba'i great                ' grand '
                     x1 is great/grand in property x2 (ka) by
		     standard x3

> whereas Great Worm clearly means something much more.  

ralju is a much better choice than banli here.

 ralju ral          principal
                    x1 is principal/chief/leader/main/[staple], most
                    significant among x2 (set) in property x3 (ka)

                    [staple (= ralselpra);
                    general/admiral/president/principal leader (= ralja'a,
                    ralterbe'e; use additional terms to distinguish
                    among these); also primary, prime, (adverb:) chiefly,
                    principally, mainly; (x2 is complete specification
                    of set)]; (cf. vajni, te bende, minde, lidne, jatna,
                    jitro, gidva, midju)

In addition...

> Once capitalized, a word is no longer generic - often it becomes
> unique.  So how do we impart special significance in lojban?
> Wouldn't one way be to make it a name: {la bulcurnu} ?

Yes, definately.

-Robin

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