Re: [lojban] Re: cusku - say or express?

The keyword of bacru is "utter", because "orgle-borgle", "squeak", and other such onomatopeia are all utterances. A creaky door is a valid {lo bacru}, but it is not a valid {lo cusku}. I think the salient difference is that {lo se cusku} is something imparting meaning, whereas {lo se bacru} is merely some sort of noise.

I do agree with Robin that "express" is a better keyword than "say", not because "say" doesn't work, but because it is misleading. Someone learning that {cusku} means "x1 says x2 ...." will very probably assume that this means only verbal _expression_ of a concept, which is not true of {cusku}.

However, {bacru} is definitely not "say". If we want to fiddle with semantics, the appropriate lojbo valsi (IMO) for "say" would be {ba'usku} (bacru cusku): "x1 says (verbally expresses) x2 to x3 via medium x4"

2010/3/12 Jorge Llambías <jjllambias@gmail.com>

On Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 11:02 AM, Michael Turniansky
<mturniansky@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> ISTM that "communicate" might be the best of all, because "say"
> often does connote bacru, as Robin says...errr..communicates.

But "communicate" doesn't normally have words as the object. You say
words, you communicate ideas.

"Say" is completely normal for written communication ("what does it
say here?", "what did he say in his letter?"), and while I don't have
much experience with sign language, if I see two people signing I
would not hesitate to say "I don't understand what they are saying".
It seems to me that "say" does not require bacru at all.

The salient point about "cusku" is that the x2 is text/words/sign, and
that is exactly what the object of "say" is.

mu'o mi'e xorxes

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