Feedback: gismu vs brivla, and comments on the textbook

[sjb@universe.digex.net (Scott Brickner)]

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Florent de Dinechin writes:
>what is the difference between gismu and brivla?

Gismu are root words.  They all have five letters, the first and fourth
of which are consonants and the second is a vowel.  The second and
third are one of each.  Examples of the two patterns are: {cilre} and
{ctuca}.

Brivla is a larger class.  The word is a "lujvo" for {bridi valsi}, or
"bridi-word" --- words used to compose bridi.  There are three types of
brivla:  {gismu} (root words), {lujvo} (affix-compounds) and {fu'ivla}
(copied-words).  {fui'vla} used to be called {le'avla} (borrowed-words),
but it was decided that, since we weren't planning on giving them back,
"borrowing" wasn't the right term.

Fu'ivla are words taken from other languages.  Examples are 
{djarspageti}
(spaghetti) and {birjylagri} (lager).  The standard way to make a 
fu'ivla
is to "lojbanize" the original word, then choose a gismu which 
represents
the "category" of the word.  A short form of the gismu is glued to the
front of the lojbanized word, usually with a "semi-vowel" (e.g., r, l,
or y), and the resulting word gets the place structure of the gismu.
In the examples, the root words are {cidja} (food, short form "dja"),
and {birje} (beer, short form "birj").

>I also found some contradictions between the textbook and
>the gismu list, for example :
>with cilre
>cilre : x1 learns x2 (du'u) about subject x3 from source x4
>(obj./event) by method x5 (event/process)
>Lesson04, line 273
>A:   ti cu cukta la lojban.  .i mi cu cilre la lojban. ti
>     this is-a-book about Lojban.  I learn about Lojban from it.
>I read "I learn lojban about it"

I think you're correct.  I'd say {mi cu cilre fi la lojban ti}.

>with "danfu"
>danfu :  x1 is the answer/response/solution/[reply] to question/problem
>x2
>Lesson04, line 358
>R:   ko cu danfu
>     Answer!
>I read : Be the answer !

Again, I agree.  "Answer!" should be {ko cu spuda}.

>And my final question is : when I begin to be able to talk
>in Lojban, whith whom may I talk (through the Internet
>if needed). I'm looking forward to it.

Try the lojban mailing list.
 

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