Re: Dao De Jing [was Re: Promoting Lojban]

[Robin Turner <robin@bilkent.edu.tr>]

la bret. cusku di'e

> Robin Turner wrote:
> >
> > I guess, though, that the problem in finding a Lojban word for Dao/Tao
> > is the ineffability of the idea itself!
>
> .ieru'e... finding a word which fully describes the Tao is not a
> problem, it's impossible!  thus we are free to choose any word we like,
> as long as we recognize there will be nothing correct about it. (vau
> .u'i) "i do not know its name, i call it the Tao"
>

{si'a} "It cannot be called 'void' or 'not void', or both, or neither.  But
in order to point it out, I call it 'the Void'."

>
> but take note that the meaning of the word we choose may also be
> affected by our usage.  if we use zo Tadji for zo Tao, it may acquire
> more of the sense of a Path or Way.  zo Tadji is defined in english as
> "method, technique, approach, means," and these have somewhat harsher
> connotations than "way," but the lojban word is not meant to inherit the
> connotations of its english glosses.
>
> (za'a .a'u) perhaps zo Tadji is acquiring some meaning of its own?
>

Inevitable, probably.  English "Tao" already has its own connotations.
{si'a} in Turkey it's usually not advisable to say you're interested in
Taoism because the most common collocation here is "taocu seks" - Taoist
sexual techniques.

co'o mi'e robin.