[lojban-beginners] Re: sevzi kosta

["Jorge Llambías" <jjllambias@gmail.com>]

> >===== Original Message From "Vid Sintef" <picos.picos@gmail.com> =====
> >
> >Jibun-no fuku-o arau.
> >
> >self-kind-of clothes-[object] wash.
> >le sevzi taxfu cu se lumci

Wouldn't the most direct translation be {fe lo vo'a taxfu cu lumci}?

According to <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_grammar>,
"jibun" is a reflexive pronoun, whose antecedent is "the subject of
the primary or most prominent action". In Lojban this will often be
the x1, so the usual translation of "jibun" will be {vo'a}.

> >"jibun" is often used when addressing to many individuals or making a
> >generalized statement. "jibun-no fuku" would be a set of clothes which
> >one can identify as a part of his/her/its self. Notice also that the
> >subject is elided in each expression, the practice of which is again
> >quite common in Japanese (and, unlike Spanish or Polish, there is no
> >such a system in which verbs or adjectives suggest the case of the
> >elided subject).

In Lojban the subject need not be expressed either and, like Japanese,
there is nothing in the verb that shows person or number. Notice that you
can use {vo'a} even when the x1 of the bridi is not explicitly filled, which
is similar to "jibun".

One difference between "jibun" and {vo'a} is that "jibun" is only used
for animate subjects, whereas {vo'a} can be used for any x1.

mu'o mi'e xorxes