Re: [lojban] Why is there so much irregularity in cmavo/gismu?

[John Cowan <jcowan@reutershealth.com>]

Craig wrote:


> Imagiine that prior to reading the Book, Jimbob learns about selma'o. So he
> asks me, "What selma'o is .ui in?" I tell him, "UI." He asks what UIs do,
> and I say that all but one of them show emotions,


Actually not.  UI1's express emotions (and UI4's and UI5's classify
them), but UI2's express the source of evidence, and UI3's provide
discourse control.  The remaining UI cmavo include not only your
bugaboo xu but also ki'a (non-emotional), ge'e (unexpressed emotion),
and bu'o (emotional/discursive contour).  kau and pau also fit in
this category, IMHO, though they are listed as UI3 in the cmaste.

> "That's stoopid. Why are they in the same class, when the only
> similarity is where you can put them?"


"The whole point of classes is that if two cmavo are in the same
class, they can be put in the same place."

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