Subject: Re: [lojban] Re: The Any thread

From: John Cowan <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 18:05:47 -0500 (EST)

Craig scripsit:

> This is what the Any interpretation means! No specific doctor is needed.

Fair enough.

> However, I do need a doctor, and when that doctor shows up e is likely
> to be specific.

"Specific", in the sense used in talking about Lojban gadri, is not a property
of doctors but of references to them. When I say "there's a doctor in the
next room", I may know perfectly well that the doctor is Tripp Hammer, but
I am still referring non-specifically.

> "I need a doctor" in English usually means "I need Any doctor", which would
> be false if:
> 1. There is a specific doctor that I need. I could then still need a doctor,
> but I wouldn't need Any doctor, which is what I interpret lojban "mi nitcu
> lo mikce" as meaning. Maybe it's just a glico bias, but I also think that my
> interpretation makes more sense.

Another problem here is that "I need any doctor" is singular, whereas
"mi nitcu lo mikce" might signal a need for more than one doctor.
"I need any doctors" sounds bizarre to me.

> 2. My need can be filled without a doctor. Then I don't need a doctor.

No controversy here.

-- 
Winter: MIT, John Cowan
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Issue lots of Drafts. http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
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