[lojban-beginners] Re: Subjunctive in Lojban

[Jorge Llambías <jjllambias@gmail.com>]

On 2/17/06, gvprtskvni (you peel us) <xod@thestonecutters.net> wrote:
>
> Unless this has been changed by the BPFK, the CLL shows there are 2
> types of UI.

The CLL separates the UIs of form VV (not all UIs) into two classes,
yes. This has been maintained by the BPFK (although perhaps not
the exact division):

<http://www.lojban.org/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=BPFK%20Section%3A%20Realis%20Attitudinals>
<http://www.lojban.org/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=BPFK%20Section%3A%20Irrealis%20Attitudinals>

However, CLL also points out that the distinction between the two
classes is not clearcut, and in some cases assigning a given cmavo
to one or the other class is fairly arbitrary.

> One modifies the truth value of the bridi, essentially
> making it hypothetical. And the other maintains the truth value and
> expresses an emotion about it. I believe that .a'o (hope) is in the
> former class.

I wouldn't say that UIs "modify the truth value of a bridi".
The bridi {la djan klama le zarci}, once we figure out who
and what {la djan} and {le zarci} refer to, and the time
we are talking about, has a truth value TRUE or FALSE.
That truth value cannot be changed by using an attitudinal.
What the attitudinal {.a'o} does in {.a'o la djan klama le zarci}
is express the speaker's hope that the bridi is true. It shows
that the speaker does not know the truth value of the bridi.
It cannot change the truth value of the bridi. {.a'o} serves to
remove the default assertive force of uttering {la djan klama
le zarci}. If I utter {la djan klama le zarci} without any adornment,
I will be assumed to be making a claim, I will be assumed to be
asserting {la djan klama le zarci}. If I utter it with some adornment
such as {.a'o}, {.ei}, {.e'o}, {xu} and many others then I remove the
assertive force, I am no longer positing the bridi as true. But
the truth value of the bridi, whatever it is, remains of course
unaffected by my utterance. To make the assertive force explicit
we can use {ju'a}.

mu'o mi'e xorxes