* Thursday, 2011-12-01 at 17:30 -0800 - Robin Lee Powell <rlpowell@digitalkingdom.org>: > On Thu, Dec 01, 2011 at 01:06:03PM -0500, Martin Bays wrote: > > * Thursday, 2011-12-01 at 09:16 -0800 - Robin Lee Powell <rlpowell@digitalkingdom.org>: > > > > > On Thu, Dec 01, 2011 at 12:14:25PM -0500, Martin Bays wrote: > > > > * Thursday, 2011-12-01 at 09:00 -0800 - Robin Lee Powell > > > > <rlpowell@digitalkingdom.org>: > > > > > On Thu, Dec 01, 2011 at 11:54:55AM -0500, Martin Bays wrote: > > > > > > * Thursday, 2011-12-01 a.t 08:03 -0800 - Robin Lee Powell > > > > > > <rlpowell@digitalkingdom.org>: > > > > > > > If it was up to me, I'd define certain places as being > > > > > > > ka'e-able: that is, "this place is normally filled by X > > > > > > > [where in the case of botpi X would be "what the bottle > > > > > > > currently contains"], but even if there is no current or > > > > > > > obvious X, the capability is sufficient for the semantics of > > > > > > > this word; zi'o should only be used if the capability has > > > > > > > been lost". > > > > > > > > > > As currently defined, a kabri is only a kabri if it contains > > > > > something; "contains vacuum" or "contains air" are both dodging > > > > > the question, IMO, especially the former. So I think we should > > > > > canonicalize the whole "this place doesn't have to be > > > > > interesting" thing you just said. > > > > > > > > But if we go from "doesn't have to be interesting" to "doesn't > > > > have to (ca'a) exist", then the place structure does much less to > > > > define the meaning. > > > > > > > > e.g. we wouldn't have the clear difference between {ko'a zukte > > > > ko'e} and {ko'a gasnu ko'e} - we'd be left with just some fuzzy > > > > idea that in the former, there *could* have been a purpose behind > > > > the action - which if we stretch that 'could' far enough, is true > > > > of any nu gasnu. > > > > > > My point was that *particular places* of *particular gismu* would be > > > marked with this behaviour. > > > > OK. I stand by my 'yuck', though! > > The other thought I had is making all such places definite, i.e. a > kabri actually is really containing the x2 by default, and marking > exceptions with {da'i} and friends; {kabri lo da'i djacu} is "this > cup could hold water", and {kabri lo da'i .i'e djacu} is "this is a > cup for/that should hold water". > > Better? Giving a special meaning to an actual cup actually kabri-ing a hypothetical quantity of water? That makes me even queasier than did the ambiguity in the first approach, to be honest... I'd go with {ti ka'e kabri da poi djacu}, and kabri implying vasru. Martin
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