[lojban] Re: xorlo

[Jorge Llambías <jjllambias@gmail.com>]

On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 4:38 PM, Squark Rabinovich<top.squark@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> This is strange. Then, lo mikce cu tavla doesn't mean that a doctor exists
> which is speaking. Does it mean anything at all?!

It could mean, among other things:

Doctors talk.
The doctors talk.
A doctor talks.
The doctor talks.
Doctors are talking.
The doctors are talking.
...
Doctors talked.
...
Doctors were talking.
...

and many others, some more likely than others depending on the
context. Since definiteness, number, and tense are not explicitly
given, they have to be figured from context. In English you are forced
to give definiteness, number and tense explicitly, in Lojban you can
leave them out. I don't think it says anything about existence though.
(At least no more existence than the existence required in order to
talk, but that comes from "tavla", not from "lo".)

mu'o mi'e xorxes


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