From pycyn@aol.com Mon Apr 02 08:53:50 2001 Return-Path: X-Sender: Pycyn@aol.com X-Apparently-To: lojban@yahoogroups.com Received: (EGP: mail-7_1_0_1); 2 Apr 2001 15:53:49 -0000 Received: (qmail 39792 invoked from network); 2 Apr 2001 15:53:48 -0000 Received: from unknown (10.1.10.142) by l9.egroups.com with QMQP; 2 Apr 2001 15:53:48 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO imo-r16.mx.aol.com) (152.163.225.70) by mta3 with SMTP; 2 Apr 2001 16:54:52 -0000 Received: from Pycyn@aol.com by imo-r16.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v29.14.) id r.d6.480996b (9666) for ; Mon, 2 Apr 2001 11:53:29 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 11:53:29 EDT Subject: RE: NU To: lojban@yahoogroups.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="part1_d6.480996b.27f9fa79_boundary" Content-Disposition: Inline X-Mailer: AOL 6.0 for Windows US sub 10519 From: pycyn@aol.com --part1_d6.480996b.27f9fa79_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Short semi-technical lecture anyhow. In the langauges I know, processes tend to fade into activities by generalization (writes a book/writes books) and into achievements at the initiative and completive aspects (initiative more likely with activities, actually). Lojban adds the possibility of bringing the state in, since it does not distinguish lexically between "is writing" and "is a writer." So, pu le nu mi ciska "Before I write" is ambiguous among at least the following, some of which probably make a difference: pu le mu'e mi ciska "before I wrote" (which itself is ambiguous between "first wrote" and "finished writing [it]") pu le pu'u mi ciska "before I was writing [it]" pu le zu'o mi ciska "before I was writing" pu le za'i mi ciska "before I was a writer" The distinction could probably be made in other ways with just {nu} but the additions would then become obligatory for that meaning. le ka le skani cu blanu is a property of space time areas, at least. --part1_d6.480996b.27f9fa79_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Short semi-technical lecture anyhow.
In the langauges I know, processes tend to fade into activities by
generalization (writes a book/writes books) and into achievements at the
initiative and completive aspects (initiative more likely with activities,
actually).  Lojban adds the possibility of bringing the state in, since it
does not distinguish lexically between "is writing" and "is a writer."  So,
pu le nu mi ciska "Before I write"
is ambiguous among at least the following, some of which probably make a
difference:
pu le mu'e mi ciska "before I wrote" (which itself is ambiguous between
"first wrote" and "finished writing [it]")
pu le pu'u mi ciska "before I was writing [it]"
pu le zu'o mi ciska "before I was writing"
pu le za'i mi ciska "before I was a writer"
The distinction could probably be made in other ways with just {nu} but the
additions would then become obligatory for that meaning.

le ka le skani cu blanu is a property of space time areas, at least.
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