[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

RE: [lojban] ka + makau (was: ce'u (was: vliju'a



Jorge:
> la and cusku di'e
> 
> >Excellent point: yes, there is a risk of gardenpathing. In a sense, if
> >we can get away with "du'u ... Q-kau", then we should be able to get
> >away with "du'u ... ce'u" and dispense with ka. OTOH, if we need ka
> >to forewarn us of the presence of a ce'u, then we need a new abstractor
> >to forewarn us of the presence of Q-kau.
> 
> The obvious candidate is {jei}, it already means {du'u xukau}.

This is controversial. In 90% of usage [including Refgram usage], yes; 
but by definition, no. Either the usage or the definition has to be
wrong.

Anyway, I take it that you are proposing a novel definition for {jei},
i.e. {du'u} that contains a Q-kau, so "whether" would be {jei xu kau}.

I wouldn't rush into this overhastily. We've already established that
ka clauses can contain Q-kau, so the current situation is:

          ce'u    Q-kau
  ka      yes     yes
  ka      yes     no
  du'u    no      yes
  du'u    no      no

Under your proposals we'd have:

          ce'u    Q-kau
  ??      yes     yes
  ka      yes     no
  jei     no      yes
  du'u    no      no

 --And.