[lojban-beginners] Re: mass vs. individual articles

["Chris Capel" <pdf23ds@gmail.com>]

On Sun, Apr 13, 2008 at 13:27, Jorge Llambías <jjllambias@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sat, Apr 12, 2008 at 4:15 PM, 32 foot <thezaptheory@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Could someone give me another, easier to understand explanation of mass vs.
>> individual articles?
>
> The distinction is relevant when a sumti has more than one referent. Compare:
>
>    lei re nanla cu tsamau le ri patfu
>    "The two boys (together) are stronger than their father."
>
>    ro le re nanla cu tsamau le ri patfu
>    "Each of the two boys is stronger than their father."

How's this for catching up?

What would you say the meaning of {le re nanla cu tsamau li'o} is? The
same as {ro le re nanla li'o}, even given xorlo? Or indeterminate?

On a related note, would you say {lei nanla} would more strongly
suggest that there are {su'o re nanla} than does {le nanla}?

Chris Capel
-- 
"What is it like to be a bat? What is it like to bat a bee? What is it
like to be a bee being batted? What is it like to be a batted bee?"
-- The Mind's I (Hofstadter, Dennet)