In a message dated 2/16/2002 5:57:02 PM Central Standard Time, phma@webjockey.net writes:
Here's the 231st:
If constituent order is rigid (or if there is no case inflection), then the
gradation of adjectives is expressed by function words; if constituent order
is flexible (or if there is case inflection), then the gradation of
adjectives is expressed inflectionally.
If I understand this correctly, constituent order is semirigid in Lojban;
there is an order such that cases need not be marked. There is no case
inflection; rather, cases are marked by words preceding the sumti. But the
gradation of "adjectives" is expressed by suffixes (-mau, -me'a, -rai). Am I
misunderstanding the rule, or does Lojban violate the rule?
Lojban seems right on track, semirigid order, "case" dealt with by something like function words, so you expect that gradation is going to be somewhere between inflection and function words, and derivation fills that bill pretty well (we might want to check other cases to see if this analogy holds).
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