Re: [lojban] Translation needed

["Adam Raizen" <araizen@newmail.net>]

From: "Adam Raizen" <araizen@newmail.net>

la xorxes cusku di'e

> la adam cusku di'e
> 
> >Would there
> >be *any* circumstance in which you would use sets, or are le'i, lo'i,
> >la'i, ce, etc. just wasted words?
> 
> Just wasted words, in my opinion. There might be rare
> circumstances when I might want to talk about sets, but
> then I can use a word meaning "x1 is a (mathematical) set
> with members x2" or something like that. I find it a waste
> to have so many cmavo dedicated to such an abstruse concept.

What *is* the word for a mathematical set? The closest I can come 
up with is "selcmi", but that doesn't require complete specification 
of the set (and you've also already rejected that zo'o).

Consider these two sentences:

le'i damba cu daxsi'u

lei damba cu daxsi'u

In my opinion, the first claims that each member of the group in 
question hits every other member, while the second only requires 
that some part of the group hits each other (but that it's 
presumably significant to mention it of the whole group). If, for 
example, there are two rival gangs in a brawl, it's obvious that the 
combatants don't hit members of their own gang, so the "le'i" 
version isn't correct. I think that the "lei" version expresses the 
situation well. OTOH, if you want to say that every member of a 
group performs some action on every other member, using a set is 
the most clear. Officially, only "le'i" is allowed, but I think that using 
"lei" opens up interesting and useful distinctions such as this one.

i co'o mi'e adam
araizen@newmail.net
-------------------------------------------------------------
The human race divides politically into those who want people
to be controlled and those who have no such desire.
--Robert Heinlein

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