Re: [lojban-beginners] About reading speed of lojban text. Compared with natlang's text.

[Pierre Abbat <phma@phma.optus.nu>]

On Monday 06 September 2010 15:50:05 spermwhale.warrior wrote:
> Hi everyone !
> I'm not fluent in lojban at all, but I like study its linguistic
> properties.
> I wondered something ... With such an high syllables's rate (I ask the
> rather fluent speakers/writers among us), comparing two short text,
> with typical constructs we use every day, such as : comparatives,
> conditionnals, vocatives, citations from someone else, simples logical
> links between otherwise independent sentences.
> One in lojban ... and one in english, or any langage you are the most
> fluent in.
> The two text written with the same look towards semantic details,
> except when (whatever is considered as) evidents inferences from
> context can be made.
>
> My question is the following : are you able, to read the lojban piece
> of text speedier than or as speedily as the chosen natlang piece of
> text ?
>
> Or not ?
>
> Does lojban's preciseness and accuracy towards semantic content of its
> constructs make it inherently long-winded ?

I estimate that Lojban text is about 1.2 times as long as corresponding 
English text, mainly because some extra phonemes, syllables, and words are 
necessary for unambiguous parsing. I managed to translate "Il était un petit 
navire" (http://www.lojban.org/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=le+cmalu+bloti) 
without having to squeeze in another syllable. Lojban is pro-drop and even 
tense-drop, which somewhat balances the need for extra sounds.

> ps: I am fluent only in French, and as you know French guys are the
> worst students in foreign languages of the EU. If you wince in reading
> me, please remember it !

You may be interested in the French Lojban list. Send an email to 
lojban-fr-request@lojban.org to subscribe.

Pierre
-- 
Jews use a lunisolar calendar; Muslims use a solely lunar calendar.

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