[lojban-beginners] Re: Lojban beginners list

[Jorge Llambías <jjllambias@gmail.com>]

On 4/22/05, Stiofan Mac Suibhne <stiofan@mac.com> wrote:
> 
> The arguments / relationships etc, I can't quite get the feel of how
> that works.  I speak several European languages so am only able to
> express things in grammar terms I am familiar with at present.  I
> understand that one needs to understand something on its own terms,
> but I would be grateful for any insights you might be able to give
> me on how this might function, with examples in English of what
> these relationships achieve.  Are the arguments subject / object,
> the relationships verbs as we might understand things at present.

Basically, yes. Arguments don't just correspond to subject and object 
though. For example:

    mi ciska lo xatra lo pelji lo penbi
    (I) write (a letter) (on paper) (with a pen).

{ciska} is the relationship that holds among the four arguments
{mi}, {lo xatra}, {lo pelji} and {lo penbi}, in that order.

> with gismu, in pairs tanru?  the first modifies the second? Does
> that mean that the first has the function that adjective or adverb
> has in English (or French / Italian / Spanish / Gaeilge)

Yes. The modifier can also be a noun in English:

   le cinfo kalte
   The lion hunter.

mu'o mi'e xorxes