WikiDiscuss

WikiDiscuss


BPFK Section: gadri

On Thu, May 20, 2004 at 12:23:03AM -0400, Rob Speer wrote:
> On Wed, May 19, 2004 at 04:23:12PM -0700, wikidiscuss@lojban.org
> wrote:
> > > > Constants are short names or abbreviations for longer names;
> > > > hence "s" is a constant when it is used to abbreviate
> > > > "Socrates".
> > > >
> > > > So "lo mlatu", if it's a constant, should stand for some
> > > > particular, individual cat or cats, correct?
> > >
> > > Or "Mr. Cat" himself, yes.
> >
> > Those seem to be completely different kinds of things to me.
> >
> > Please note that these aren't objections, I'm just trying to
> > understand better.
>
> I have to agree. The rest of the gadri proposal makes perfect sense to
> me; but as soon as Mr. Cat enters the picture, it sounds like
> something completely different and alien.

Actually, from the perspective of the proposal I have no problem with
it, it's the 'constants' think that messes me up.

> I don't know when I'd want to talk about Mr. Cat, and I don't think
> I'd want to accidentally be talking about him. I imagine that the
> concept will be similarly difficult to grasp for most learners of the
> language.

Is there a difference between "ravens are tricksters" and "Raven is a
trickster"? Unless one is independetly worshiping Raven (in which case
it's "la raven" anyways), I don't see a difference.

> It seems perfectly fine to define "lo" as an empty gadri. Why does Mr.
> Cat need to be brought up at all?

See above. Also, this is apparently something that people feel the need
to say, although I'm not sure why.

-Robin