Re: lojban relationship words....

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

la bruk. cusku di'e

>  > > So question: If each lojban gismu has only one definition, which is
>  > > the definition for "pendo"?
>  > >
>  > > x1 is a friend to x2
>  > >
>  > > or
>  > >
>  > > x1 acts like a friend to x2
> 
> [...]
> 
>  > Good question. It would seem to me that "acts like a friend" ought to be a
>  > tanru...
> 
> Lojbab? John? Comments? What's the "correct" definition of "pendo" -
> is, acts, or both?
> 
> Hmm, this should be another thread, but what is the metaphysics of
> lojban?  Relativist (acts like)? Absolutist (is)?  "Agnostic" (both)?


Tricky, since "friend" is culture-specific.  Turkish "arkadas^"
is more like "acts-like" whereas "dost" is definitely "is".  A
prototypical arkadas^ both acts in a friendly way and feels
strong affection, while a peripheral arkadas^ is just someone you
interact with in some way e.g. evarkadas^ = "house-mate", leading
one of my students to mistranslate

* I do not like my house friend.

I'd suggest we define {pendo} as "x1 feels affection for x2 AND
x1 regularly interacts with x2".  So "is a friend to" is fine,
but "acts like a friend" should be "acts as a friend", since the
English "acts like" has connotations of deceit, and it would be
illogical to include deceit in the same definition.  We wouldn't,
for example, define {pulji}

x1 is a policeman/woman; x1 acts like (but is not) a
policeman/woman

This example makes it clear that the question is not really
metaphysical. "Being ordained by some official body to enforce
the law" is a defining feature of "police", whereas "wearing a
blue uniform" is simply a typical feature.  To use {pulji} for
someone who wears a blue uniform, helps old ladies across the
road or makes a citizens' arrest would require {pe'a}. 
Similarly, "feeling affection for" is a defining feature of
(English) "friend", which distinguishes it from such categories
as "aquaintance", "colleague", "associate" or "crony".

co'o mi'e robin.