Subject: Re: [lojban] No number base?!?

From: John Cowan <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 22:47:09 -0400 (EDT)

Rob Speer scripsit:

> * Lojban seems designed for base 16, having the digits 0-9 _and_ A-F in
> single-syllable words - so perhaps a native of Lojbanistan would naturally
> count in base 16

Lojban is optimized for bases 16 or less. Larger bases are handled with
pi'e.

> * There are gismu for various powers of 10, but none for powers of 16

They are derived from SI prefixes.

> * Is there a way to specify what base you're using outside of a mekso? ju'u
> seems to be only allowed immediately after a number.

You can *say* what base you are using, given a selbri for "base", like
"All the digit-strings represent da in base 16". This is a *human*
language, not a programming language.

> * If a different base was established, would the meanings of dekto, xecto,
> decti, etc. change?

No.

-- 
John Cowan [email-masked]
One art/there is/no less/no more/All things/to do/with sparks/galore
--Douglas Hofstadter