Subject: Re: UI for 'possible' (was: Re: [lojban] Bible translation style question)

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 11:04:51 EST

In a message dated 2/12/2002 7:07:07 PM Central Standard Time, 
[email-masked] writes:

> but it's the meaning of 'mi pacna le du'u kau/kau'u ko'a
> klama' or
> > > 'le du'u ko'a klama zo'u mi pacna le du'u ko'a klama'.
> > >
> >
> > Butmthat was not what you gave as an explication (and I am not sure
> that it
> > IS what these expressions mean either).
> 
> Yes, it was, that's how I defined it.

Sorry, I didn't remember that this was your experimental gizmo. There are 
too many of these flying around and no registry of what who is using each to 
mean. 

<Hoping requires that the hoper not know how the object of hope came
out or will come out, but it can still occur at any time. "I hope that
he rememebered to go to the store yesterday" makes perfect sense.>

Of course it does. But when, as in the instant case, we do not even know 
when the event is to take place, the future perfect (as it were) is the 
safest bet.

<Maybe as an evidential only in the extended sense, but the true
evidentials and 'possibly' can be analyzed the same way: 'sei cumki
ko'a klama' --> 'le nu kau'u ko'a klama cu cumki' and 'ti'e ko'a
klama' --> 'sei mi te cusku ko'a klama' --> 'mi te cusku le se du'u
kau'u ko'a klama'>

That wouldn't be my final analysis, but I agree that they do get analyzed the 
same way. I would get rid of the {kau'u} by pulling the assertion out and 
joining it to the buried form with {i}.

<If you don't consider 'li'a' and 'sa'e' metalinguistic, what is?
Aren't they quintessential metalinguistic operators?>

Hmmm. I see your point. I guess that I am following a prejudice (and my own 
usage) here, which is take these as mere discursives, along with, say, "on 
the other hand." 
The reason for that turn of my own mind is that I find "clearly" is mainly 
used with things that are not at all clear (i.e., when the metalinguistic 
claim is false) and "precisely" is used -- if at all -- when the precision 
(i.e., prolixity and jargon) are all too obvious.