Symbiosis and related topics

["sshiskom" <mathmaniac@hanmail.net>]

Symbiosis and related topics
fi'e la sanxiyn.

---- Definition
First, I think I need to define my use of "Symbiosis". My
use of the word is based on "symbiosis", Encyclopaedia Britannica.

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=72552

I note that it is not accessible in its entirety if you are
not a member... Hmm.

To cite: "any of several living arrangements between members of two
different species, including mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism".
The article do note that "symbiosis" is often equated with
"mutualism", but that's a quirk of English usage. Let's forgot it.

---- Other language's solution
And let me introduce some CJK calques:

U+5171 U+751F (gongsaeng)
 literally "joint life", thus symbiosis.
U+76F8 U+5229 U+5171 U+751F (sangligongsaeng)
 literally "reciprocally profitable joint life", thus mutualism.
U+7247 U+5229 U+5171 U+751F (pyeonligongsaneng)
 literally "unilaterally profitable joint life", thus commensalism.
U+5BC4, U+751F (gisaeng)
 literally "dependent life", thus parasitism.

---- On technical terms
Note that these are technical, domain-specific terms. Etymology
just doesn't matter. Once decided(standardized), they just mean
what their English counterpart means. I think it is about the same
in English, too. What is the difference between "mutual" and
"commensal" in normal usages? If my understanding is correct,
"commensalism" does not mean that the arrangement is commensal:
it just means what it is. (I am not specialized in this area! Do
not ask me how _exactly_ commensalism is defined.)

---- Lojban coinages
Now, my rendering of above calques into Lojban:

gunma jmive (gumji'e)
 x1 is symbiotic system, composed of symbionts x2.
simxu xamgu (simxau)
 x1 is a set of mutually beneficial members x2.
 - My first idea was to use {prali}, but not sure how to use it.
na'e simxu xamgu (nalsimxau)
 x1 is a set of other than mutually (i.e. one-way) beneficial
 members x2.

---- On rendering of "unilateral"
"unilateral" is tough. G. Dyke suggested "pavyfartcu" and
"nalcajytcu" for "unilateral dependency", so I take it as his
suggesting of {pa farna} and {na'e canja} for "unilateral".

But I cannot make anything out of {pa farna}, and {na'e canja}
sounds "non-commercial (agent)". Ok, perhaps "ray", in the
mathematical sense, {pa farna tcena}, but "line" {re farna tcena}.
That's what I can make of {pa farna}.

So I suggest {nalsimxu}, for {simxu} is "mutual", which is a very
nice gismu, I think.

---- On use of {jmive} for "organism"
G. Dyke wrote:
> Something can still be organic after death. Which is jmive to be?
> Alive, or organic. I vote for "organic", since we already have
> tolmorsi for alive.

One more vote for this idea, although using {tolmorsi} for "alive"
sounds as strange as "malbona" for "bad". But is there really no
gismu for the concept of "organic"? If so, isn't it a BIG hall?

---- Parasitism is not unilateral dependency
Yes, the title says all. A fetus is unilaterally dependent on its
mother, but not a parasite. (Ok, you *may* say so, but it is not
the normal meaning.)

Then, what characterizes parasitism? After some thought, my
conclusion is "harmfulness". x1 is parasitic on x2, if and only if
x1 is dependent on x2 and x1 harms x2. This was implicit on CJK
wording -- which is understandable, since they are not Lojban!
Unilaterality doesn't play an important role here. By the way,
{nitcu} is not reciprocal. x1 nitcu x2 does not imply x2 nitcu x1.

Therefore:

xrani nitcu (xaitcu)
 x1 is harmfully dependent on x2, i.e. x1 is parasitic on x2.

----
mu'o mi'e sanxiyn.