Summer School lojban

[Colin Wright <egroups@solipsys.co.uk>]

OK, so here is the question I set during the mathematics Summer School.

Here are some examples of a strange language called lojban
(pronounced LOHZ-bahn).  Note that one of the examples has
a deliberate mistake:
 
   mi cu tavla do
         I talk to you  
   mi cu tavla do ti
         I talk to you about this_thing_here_at_which_I_point  
   mi cu tavla do ta
         I talk to you about that_thing_there_at_which_I_point  
   mi cu tavla do le cukta
         I talk to you about the book  
   mi cu tavla do le zarci
         I talk to you about the market  
   le zarci cu barda
         The market is big  
   mi pu viska
         I see  
   mi pupu tcidu
         I had read (something!)  
   do ba tavla fi le zarci
         You will speak about the market  
   mi puzi cadzu
         I have just walked  
   do pu klama le zarci
         You went to the market  
   ta cu blanu zdani
         That is a blue house  
   la lojban cu cizra
         The thing called lojban is weird  

 
Try to work out how to say:
 
 
   I will soon walk
   I was about to talk to you
   This is big
   That is the market
   I will go to the market
   I saw the blue book
   I will read the blue book
 
----

We did some other stuff on logic the next day. Then the follow-up question 
that let me talk about the connection was this one:

There are some cards that have a colour on one side and a shape on the other.
Laid out on the table in front of you are four of them showing:

  Red   Green   Square    Triangle

Which ones must you turn ove in order to answer the question:

    Does every red card have a square on the other side?

Is the SWH is true then lojban speakers should have an advantage on this one.

Thoughts?


cdw
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