WikiDiscuss

On Apr 6, 2005 1:41 PM, John E Clifford <clifford-j@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Our native
> speaker of Lojban will (I think) still leave
> blanks in what he says for a variety of reasons

Indeed.

> — at least the one listed and perhaps others. I
> think even assuming that he always knows that and
> why he is leaving a gap is pressing ones luck a
> bit

I don't think a fluent speaker necessarily knows *why* he
says what he says. He just knows *how* to say it.

(I leave gaps in English wihtout thinking
> about it, after all, and with no discernable
> reason).

Yes, but surely you can't omit any word at all.
There are rules you follow, even if you don't know
them explicitly. You can't omit "nothing" in
"he ate nothing" and get anything like the original
meaning, for example.

> So, I think this divsion will continue
> to apply even for totally competent users.

I think some of the possible reasons you mention for omission
(those that involve zi'o) won't apply to someone who
has incorporated the full meaning of a brivla.

mu'o mi'e xorxes