[lojban-beginners] Re: lojban-beginners Digest V5 #41

[Jim Dabell <jim-digitalkingdom.org-lojban@jimdabell.com>]

On Friday 10 March 2006 01:11, klaus schmirler wrote:
> Alex Joseph Martini wrote:
> > Is the point here to decide how {pritu} aught to be defined, or how it
> > currently is defined? This issue seems to be getting a little blurred.
>
> Yes. I find the definitions, especially, but not only of the places, a
> little too abstract for learning. They should all have some notes on
> their purpose, a dictionary giving sentences with appropriate situations.

Isn't this what jbovlaste is for?

<http://jbovlaste.lojban.org//dict/pritu>

Sadly the examples section is blank.

Unfortunately, I'm still quite lost as to the status of pritu.  Are we all 
beginners speculating, or was somebody responding to this thread speaking 
authoritatively?  Should I cross-post this to another mailing list?

It seems to me that there's (fairly) wide agreement here that this 
interpretation is the correct one:

la .iulias. pritu la mari,as. la klaudias.

From Claudia's perspective, Julia is to the right of Maria.
The direction in which any of them are facing is not specified.

Presumably to be used in situations where the direction Claudia is facing is 
already established or observable.

However, if we're all just beginners speculating, then our agreement isn't 
worth very much if we're agreeing on the wrong interpretation.

Although Lojban's goal might be to reduce ambiguity, it seems the word 
definitions themselves are ambiguous!

-- 
Jim