I'm in favour of a simplification of the connective system. However, there is something that bothers me about this proposed simplification; in particular, it changes the mental model one has of {cu}, breaking a certain elegant symmetry between bridi heads and tails.
A particular type of sentence in Lojban is a bridi, of which the only mandatory component is the bridi-tail, which begins with a selbri, ends with {vau}, and encloses zero or more terms. If a bridi-tail is present, it may be preceded with a bridi-head, which begins after {zo'u}, ends with {cu}, and encloses one or more terms.
The symmetry that I'm speaking of is that {cu} parallels {vau}: the former terminates the bridi-head and the latter, the bridi-tail. Notice that in this proposal, it becomes possible to write {.i ko'a broda je cu brode}. Clearly, {cu} here is not operating as a terminator anymore, and the symmetry between {cu} and {vau} is lost.
In the official grammar, it can be observed that {cu} is a terminator by noticing that it is elided only when one or more terms precede the bridi-tail: contrast {ko'a [cu] broda [vau]} with {broda [vau]}. The proposed connective reform does more than reform connectives. It alters the operation of {cu}, so that rather act as a bridi-head elidible terminator, it acts as a bridi-tail elidible *initiator*.
Reforming the overly complex connective system is an excellent goal, but I am against the means to that end employed in this proposal, namely the alteration of {cu} to become an elidible initiator (which would also make it the first of its kind, I think).
.i mi'e la tsani mu'o
> On Sep 25, 2016, at 2:31 PM, selpahi <seladwa@gmx.de> wrote:
>
> "How does one say 'and' in Lojban?"
> "Well... it depends, you know. For sumti, it's {e}. For tanru and sentences, it's {je}. For bridi tails it's {gi'e}. And those were just the afterthought connectives. Forethought 'and' is {ge} for everything but tanru, which use {gu'e} instead. Relative clauses are connected with {zi'e}."
> "... oh."
>
> With no less than six ways to say "and" as well as roughly the same number for each of the other logical functions (OR, IFF, WHETHER-OR-NOT) totaling 26, the Lojban connective system can be quite daunting. But despair not, for there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
>
> [...]
>
> To read the full article follow this link:
>
> https://solpahi.wordpress.com/2016/09/20/a-simpler-connective-system/
>
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