Re: [lojban] Re: Un-definite quantifier.

[Jorge Llambías <jjllambias@gmail.com>]

On 6/13/05, John E Clifford <clifford-j@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> --- Jorge Llambías <jjllambias@gmail.com> wrote:
> > {lo broda} without quantifiers behaves just as
> > {le broda}
> > withouth quantifiers, and indeed like any other
> > sumti without
> > quantifiers.
> 
> If this is true, then the meaning of {le} has
> changed even more radically than that of {lo} --
> and now defintely to the dtriment of
> expressibility in Lojban.  This may actually have
> happened since I have seen {le broda} equated
> with {lo "broda"}, as though accurate description
> were the significant difference.

The significant difference is specificity. 

{le namcu} "the number(s) I have in mind".
{le pavyseljirna} "the unicorn(s) I have in mind".
{le gerku} "the dog(s) I have in mind".

{lo namcu} "number(s)"
{lo pavyseljirna} "unicorn(s)"
{lo gerku} "dog(s)"

The difference doesn't affect how they behave vis-a-vis
quantification, which is the same in all cases:

 PA <sumti> = PA da poi ke'a me <sumti>

mu'o mi'e xorxes