[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

[lojban-beginners] Re: Hello All



Spencer asks:

 

le sutra [ku] cu vecnu cukta [vau]
The quick-one is a seller book.

Another question, why does the above not mean "The quick-one sells books."?  Does it need to be "le cukta" instead?  If not, how would you get it to mean that?
-----------------

  Two consecutive brivla ("predicate words") in a row always mean the first one modifes the second (This is called a tanru).  "vecnu cukta" => "a seller/selling type of book", which could mean a book that sells (cf English "best-seller"), a book that tells people how to sell,  etc.  In order to fill the "slots" (sumti) of a predicate like "vecnu" (x1 sells x2 to x3 for x4) a brivla must be marked off in some way. Some words that can do this are the "articles", la/le/lo, etc.  or numbers, "pa/re/ci, su'o", etc.  "Pronouns" such  as mi, do, ti, ko'a, etc. don't need this markers because they can only be sumti.

 

  So "le sutra cu vecnu loi cukta" is what you are looking for.

 

                I hope this is clear.  Let me know if not.

 

                        --gejyspa