Lojban and English

[pycyn@aol.com]

At least moderate cheers for xod and elrond, for reminding us that Lojban 
ain't English and shouldn't be made into English but rather should be 
explored in its own right. To be sure, we do want to know how to say in 
Lojban things that we say in English (etc.) but we should not expect that 
there is a perfect match nor should we try to force one on the language 
(especially when the match is with an ambiguous term or a vague one). we 
should rather see what Lojban offers that will do the important part of the 
job and then live with or work around the rest. Now, it is hard to know what 
Lojban offers sometimes, since we have no native speakers to grill, but we do 
have the Book which lays out a lot of parameters. Presumably, it something 
falls within those parameters, it is grammatically legitimate. It may, of 
course, be nonsense; but we should not rush to that judgment just because it 
seems like English (etc.) nonsense. It may be perfectly clear within a 
different -- maybe Lojbandish, for all we know -- frame of reference. So let 
it fly. If Lojbanders use it, it's Lojban and probably does something 
useful. For the moment, it looks like a bunch of Platonists are carving a 
niche in an Aristotelian language. Neat-o.