Re: [jboske] putative tense scope effects (was: RE:

[pycyn@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/5/2002 9:41:30 AM Central Standard Time, araizen@cs.huji.ac.il writes:
<<

>Oh yes, and {da poi} is singular, while {lo} can be (and defaultingly is)
>plural.

Maybe in pycynian, but in Lojban the default quantifier for both is
"su'o" (ch. 16 sec. 6): "unadorned ``da'' is also taken to have an
implicit number in front of it, namely ``su'o'', which means ``at least
one''."

>>
Well, yes.  But what that means depends upon what use you make of it.  If it is just an existence claim, then it is a matter of a one-minimum.  On the other hand, it it is used to introduce a character which has a continuing life in the text, it is, as in logic, a singular (and dealt with most effectively with a namely-rider, {goi ...}.  It is the easiest way to get to a singular in Lojban.