Re: any, opaque, transparent, xe'e...

[RRICCI@VAXRMA.INFN.IT]

I was reluctant to intervene in the discussion about "any" which has been
monopolizing the mailing list in the last weeks, since I haven't had the
possibility to read in due depth all the postings. So my opinion could well
be a mere rephrasing of ideas already stated by somebody else or, more
probably, simply miss the point. In this case, just ignore this posting.
It seems to me that the main difference between

"I need a box" (or "Give me a box")

and

I need any box (or "Give me any box")

is simply a subjective or attitudinal one: in other words, I'm not referring
to different domains of discourse, nor am I asserting anything about the
existence or non-existence of the referent of my statement or request - I
could equally well say that I need (or want to be shown) "a unicorn" or
"any unicorn", the same "ambiguity" resulting in this case too. I feel that the
real peculiarity of using "any" instead of "a" relies on a different
attitude towards the thing spoken about: using "any" - in most
"non pathological" cases at least - simply conveys the idea that I am
explicitly stating my *indifference* (for ideological or practical reasons)
on what specific item should be substituted for the thing I'm referring to.
So my modest suggestion for rendering this kind of "any" in Lojban
is to continue using normal descriptors ("le" or "lo"
depending on speaker's intention to be or not to be veridical) together with
some sort of attitude cmavo denoting indifference or "suspension of judge"
(I don't know whether it's already at hand, or if "xe'e" is intended to
mean just this).
Does it sound too naive to your sophisticated philosophically-inclined ears? :-)


---Roberto Ricci  co'o mi'e rob.