[lojban] Re: plural markers?

[John E Clifford <lojban-out@lojban.org>]

Actually, the "problem" expression is the singular.  Lojban descriptions are of a number of
things; that that number is 1 is as special a case as that it is 83.  So -- context permitting --
the best plural is just the form without internal quantifiers at all.  Now context -- including
external knowledge -- can modify that, and the various gadri have different implications: {lVi}
and {lV'i} are very strongly plural in all contexts, {la} usually suggests singular, {le} less
strongly so, {lo} not at all.
And, of course, whether the apples all falling at the same time is about a "mass" depends upon
what you say: In "The apples fell simultaneously" yes, in "The apples fell at 10:47 a.m. CDT on
June 27, 2006" probably not. 

--- Chris Capel <pdf23ds@gmail.com> wrote:

> On 6/27/06, HeliodoR <exitconsole@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > But I think more common than {za'u} or {su'o re}, when
> > > plurality is made explicit, will be {so'u}, {so'o}, {so'i}, "a few",
> > > "several", "many".
> >
> > When {ro} [something] signs multiple things does {so'u}
> > [something] imply plurality? Exactly one object is a few
> > objects, isn't it?
> 
> Not in English. It means, roughly, at least 3, but still a small
> number, in small groups ("A few of the chairs in my house") or when
> specifying group size ("I own a few guns"), and 5-10% in large groups
> ("A few of the strawberries that were harvested").
> 
> Chris Capel
> -- 
> "What is it like to be a bat? What is it like to bat a bee? What is it
> like to be a bee being batted? What is it like to be a batted bee?"
> -- The Mind's I (Hofstadter, Dennet)
> 
> 
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> 



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