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Re: [lojban] Some remarks from a beginner



Bob LeChevalier (lojbab) wrote:

I mean, "focus" first, then the other parameters?

Focus first is not the only "natural" order, just the one common in European languages.

Actually, topic-first is much more common, both in terms of the
number of languages, and *especially* the number of speakers,
since both English and Chinese are basically topic-first.

The only focus-first language I know about offhand is
Welsh.

(Topic = background, focus = foreground.)


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