Subject: Re: [lojban] An approach to attitudinals

From: Richard Todd <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 19:56:56 -0500

John Cowan wrote:
> 
> Richard Todd scripsit:
> 
> > >From the brochure:
> > "The person who reads or hears a Lojban sentence is
> > never in doubt as to what words it contains or
> > *what roles they play* in the sentence."
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (emphasis mine)
> 
> That is intended to refer to syntax.

Yeah, I knew I was stretching it's meaning, but not too far IMO. I was
reminded of the brochure because it seems to me that we actually are
arguing about what the role of the attitudinal is in the sentence. What
can it do? How far do it's effects reach?

I thought to myself, "If context (in the listener's mind) can use my
attitudinal to make my sentence either an assertion or a proposition at
will, then there is certainly some doubt as to what role attitudinals
are playing." I put it in the mail because it amused me, not because I
thought it was a crushing argument.

Richard