From jjllambias@hotmail.com Mon Aug 07 16:21:23 2000 Return-Path: Received: (qmail 15859 invoked from network); 7 Aug 2000 23:21:23 -0000 Received: from unknown (10.1.10.26) by m3.onelist.org with QMQP; 7 Aug 2000 23:21:23 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO hotmail.com) (216.33.241.207) by mta1 with SMTP; 7 Aug 2000 23:21:23 -0000 Received: from mail pickup service by hotmail.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC; Mon, 7 Aug 2000 16:21:23 -0700 Received: from 200.42.117.92 by lw8fd.law8.hotmail.msn.com with HTTP; Mon, 07 Aug 2000 GMT X-Originating-IP: [200.42.117.92] To: lojban@egroups.com Subject: Re: [lojban] Re: Questions Date: Mon, 07 Aug 2000 23:21:22 GMT Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: X-OriginalArrivalTime: 07 Aug 2000 23:21:23.0008 (UTC) FILETIME=[33455400:01C000C6] From: "Jorge Llambias" > > > > Question 1: How does one translate "how old are you?" into lojban? > >stidi lu fi ma renvi li'u That works, too, but it is more cumbersome than simple nanca. The answer can't be just a number, it has to be something like {lo nanca be li 33}, so you end up using nanca anyway. One of the very original things that Lojban has is its really neat and simple treatment of units and dimensions. I don't see why we shouldn't take full advantage of it, and say {mi nanca li 33}. As I see it, the duration of the referent of {mi} is from my birth to now. My past experiences are certainly a part of what I am. I can't say the same about the future, so I think it is ok to treat my present self as lasting from my birth till now. Of course there are other durations that I can be measured by, but that one is the most obvious in the absence of more context. Another example of taking advantage of the Lojban way of handling units is {ta rupnu ma} for "how much does that cost?" instead of something like {ma jdima ta}. Again the answer in this case will have to be something like {lo rupnu be li no'o}, so you end up using {rupnu} anyway. Of course, sometimes we want to use a longer form. But I think that an equivalent of the short and standard English form "how old are you?" is best achieved by {do nanca ma}. co'o mi'e xorxes ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com