Subject: Re: status of ka (was Re: [lojban] x3 of du'

From: "Jorge Llambias" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2001 22:41:53

This is how I use ka:

1- Every ka has at least one (and usually only one) explicit or
implicit ce'u.

2- When there is at least one explicit ce'u, there are no implicit
ones.

3- When there is no explicit ce'u, context determines how many
and where the ce'us go. (Usually but not necessarily only one,
and usually but not necessarily in the first available space.)

For example, a ka in the x2 of mutce has only one ce'u, and it is
usually not necessary to make it explicit: {mutce le ka bebna} is
normally "very silly", i.e. {mutce le ka ce'u bebna}, not "very
property of being silly, which would be {mutce le ka bebna ce'u}.

{simxu le ka dunda} without any context I would interpret as
"they give something to each other", but it could also in the
appropriate context mean "they are given to each other", or
"they give each other to someone". Of course it is trivial to
disambiguate by using the ce'us explicitly, but for most
predicates it is not necessary.

I don't see the point of making abstruse rules that don't take
into account how we actually use or want to use it. What normally
used predicate ever takes a ka with more than two ce'us? I know
some predicates _can_ take such monsters, but are there any that
would under normal circumstances?

mu'o mi'e xorxes

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