Subject: if

From: "G. Dyke" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 16:00:59 +0100

I think it's time we had another fight about if... zo'o (especially as I've
never been in one).

First thing I've been wondering about: It is generally accepted that
not-or is not a good natlang paraphrase of if ; compare :

If it is good weather, we go for a walk.

It's not good weather or we go for a walk.

But, as the truth values correspond, the sentences both mean the same thing:

good weather -> go for walk
not good weather -> go for a walk or not go for a walk

I believe ganai - gi works perfectly well

ganai xamgu tcima gi cadzu

other sentences that can't be translated with ganai (using words I happen to
know the lojban for):

I you meet john, welcome him

It's ridiculous to use ganai gi, as this sentence does not cover cases when
you don't meet john. I suggest:

fau lenu do penmi la djan. ku ko cusku lu fi'i djan

I have more trouble with the sentence

if you had met john, you'd have thought he was handsome.

Grice says that in fact you didn't meet john, so ganai gi logic says we'll
never know what your opinion of his handsomeness is.

fau da'i lenu do pu penmi la djan kei do jinvi ledu'u ri melbi

The last type I have to suggest is:

It is not true that If I'm rich, I'm happy

naku lonu mi ricfu ku nibli lonu mi gleki

Where does mu'ei fit?
What do I do with sentences like "he wouldn't have been caught if he hadn't
been there" which usually assert that he was caught and he was there?
Do you dis/agree?
What other possibilities are there?

Greg

--
http://www.myepfl.ch/gregory.dyke

.i lo'e to'e makcu cu djica lenu tolcumla morsi kei lo telda'a
.i lo'e je'a makcu cu go'i to'ebo le se go'i