Re: I'm new, and I have questions, damnit.

[John Cowan <cowan@ccil.org>]

Avital Oliver/biOmass wrote:

> a) What the estimate on the number of Lojban speakers worldwide?

Hard to say, and it depends on the definition of "speaker".  There are
probably no truly fluent speakers.  Some face-to-face and IRC
conversations have been held in Lojban, though.

> b) Some technical questions:
> 
> How would I say, "Does anyone talk?"
> [mainly, the anyone is my problem]

	xu da tavla
	Is-it-the-case-that an-X-exists-who talks?

See the chapter on logic.
 
> How would I say, "Who talks to himself?"
> I'd think it's `mi tavla mi', but according to the lessons, that would
> be, "Who talks, and to whom?"

I think you mean "ma" rather than "mi"; "mi tavla mi" is "I talk
to myself".  Your interpretation of "ma tavla ma" is correct.

The simplest way is probably

	ma tavla ri
	What-sumti? talks-to [referent of last sumti]
	Who talks to himself/herself/themselves?
 
> [BTW: Is the book worth buying? I mean, are the lessons on lojban.org
> enough?]

The version on lojban.org is very close to the final copy, but
it's less easy to handle, and if you want a hard copy it's probably
cheaper to buy the book than to print it yourself.  The binding
is library-grade as well as very attractive.

Also, buying the book helps support the language!
(I don't get any royalties, so I am quite disinterested here.)

-- 
John Cowan	http://www.ccil.org/~cowan		cowan@ccil.org
	You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
	You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
		Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)