[lojban-beginners] Re: Question and articles 2

[HeliodoR <exitconsole@gmail.com>]

> Wouldn't {lu'o vo lo ninmu cu cinba la rikis.martin.} translate to "four
> women, as a group, kiss Ricky Martin."?

 

Yes, it would mean a group of any four women.

 

> I was taught, in previous sections, that {vo lo ninmu} was a way to say
> "three women" instead of "the three women" which was introduced
> earlier as {le vo ninmu}.

 

*Four* women :), but yes, LfB deals articles this way. It doesn't let You

say {lo vo ninmu}, for that would mean "all the four women in the world".

Although if You'd like to stick to xorlo (which is recommended) here's a

list of the variations:

{lo vo ninmu} - Any four women (maybe as a mass, maybe not).

{lu'o lo vo ninmu}, also {loi vo ninmu} - Any four women as a mass.

{vo lo ninmu} or just {vo ninmu} - Any four women individually.

{lu'o vo lo ninmu} or just {lu'o vo ninmu} - Any four women as a mass.

 

{ci lo vo ninmu} - 3 times four women, that is, twelve women (maybe

in 3 separate masses, maybe individually).

{ci lu'o lo vo ninmu}, also {ci loi vo ninmu} - 3 independent masses

of four women.

Et cetera.

 

({le} is interpreted very similarly, only it refers to concrete objects.)

 

Though if You wouldn't like to go crazy trying to pick the right article,

there's an emergency exit: {xo'e}, AFAIK turns a brivla into a sumti

without asking a word or being any more specific than "four women".

 

a'o mi na bebna cusku mi'e darves