Re: [jboske] kau

[John Cowan <cowan@ccil.org>]

Invent Yourself scripsit:

> Because if I then say {mi ba'o tikpa da}, my listeners are horrified.
> That's because da has been assigned a meaning, even though no poi was
> used.

I think this is a misuse of "meaning", though I understand what you mean. :-)

> > The listener can't
> > choose any dog and decide that that dog is ko'a, because the
> > speaker might be using {ko'a} to refer to some other dog.
> 
> Same with da.

No, "da" does not refer to begin with.

> It doesn't require it, but it doesn't forbid it either, and da is often
> used to refer to specific entities that the speaker has in mind, and of
> which the speaker wants to assert the existence, and wants to assign a
> variable.

But you can't compel the listener to accept your reference, as you can with
ko'a.

-- 
Híggledy-pìggledy / XML programmers John Cowan
Try to escape those / I-eighteen-N woes; http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
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