Subject: Re: [lojban] RE: zi'o and modals

From: Richard Todd <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 17:29:38 -0500

Jorge Llambias wrote:
> >Otherwise, why would the speaker choose {fo noda},
> >when {noda} in any position has a similar effect?
> 
> It doesn't really have the same effect. Your sentence is compatible,
> for example, with:
> 
> ti botpi le vanju le blaci le gacri
> 
> This one is not compatible with:
> 
> ti botpi noda le blaci le gacri
> 
> So where you put noda matters.

Not if the sentence is really about {le badna}. 

That's really my point. The words in the sentence don't prevent it from
referring to {le badna}, but the way our minds work (we _want_ the
placement of noda to matter, since we're happiest when things have a
reason) tries to hold us somewhat to our concept of {botpi} (though as
you say, it cannot be an authentic {botpi}).

> ti dunda le djacu noda
>
> Would you assume that ti is a giver?

By the same logic above I think you cannot assume much at all about
{ti}, (these sentences are really saying very little, when you think
about it!). I'm wondering now about what the listener is likely to
assume from it. And, like you, I am not sure if its the english
concepts interfering or not. I think all of this is very interesting.

r