Proposed Definitions

noi

noi (NOI)

Incidental clause. noi is Lojban's non-restrictive relative clause. The "relative" part means that it attaches to a sumti to provide additional information about that sumti. noi immediately follows a sumti and is followed by a full bridi (which means it sometimes must be terminated with ku'o, the NOI selma'o terminator, or vau, the general bridi terminator, particularily if one wishes to add another sumti to the out bridi). The "non-restrictive" part means that the information in the noi clause is not sufficient to completely identify the referents of the sumti that noi is attached to. In other words, the noi bridi is true about the sumti noi is attached to, but is not enough to pick out only the things the speaker has in mind among all the possible things that the sumti noi is attached to could refer to. Generally, noi is only used when the referents of the sumti have already been explained, or are obvious, and the speaker wishes to give additional information.

noi Examples

le gerku noi blanu cu barda
The dog, which incidentally is white, is big.

la alis noi ru'i senci cu sezysku
Alice, who was continuously sneezing, said to herself.

ro bifce noi pendo mi cu ji'a xebni lo sigja
All bees, which are friends of mine, also hate cigars.
This sentence was taken from the #lojban IRC channel, and asserts that every bee (or wasp or hornet) that exists (ignoring metaphysical issues) is both a friend of the speaker and hates cigars. This is probably not what the author intended.

poi (NOI)

Restrictive clause. Restrictive relative clause; attaches subordinate bridi with identifying information to a sumti.

voi (NOI)

Descriptive clause. Non-veridical restrictive clause used to form complicated le-like descriptions using "ke'a".

ge'u (GEhU)

End relative phrase. Elidable terminator: end relative/modal phrases; usually elidable in non-complex phrases.

ku'o (KUhO)

End relative clause. Elidable terminator: end NOI relative clause; always elidable, but preferred in complex clauses.

vu'o (VUhO)

Long scope relative. Joins relative clause/phrase to complete complex or logically connected sumti in afterthought.

goi (GOI)

Pro-sumti assign. Sumti assignment; used to define/assign ko'a/fo'a series pro-sumti; Latin 'sive'.

ne (GOI)

Incidental phrase. Non-restrictive relative phrase marker: which incidentally is associated with ...

no'u (GOI)

Incidental identity. Non-restrictive appositive phrase marker: which incidentally is the same thing as ...

pe (GOI)

Restrictive phrase. Restrictive relative phrase marker: which is associated with ...; loosest associative/possessive.

po (GOI)

Is specific to. Restrictive relative phrase marker: which is specific to ...; normal possessive physical/legal.

po'e (GOI)

Wich belongs to. Restrictive relative phrase marker: which belongs to ... ; inalienable possession.

po'u (GOI)

Restrictive identity. Restrictive appositive phrase marker: which is the same thing as.

zi'e (ZIhE)

Rel clause joiner. Joins relative clauses which apply to the same sumti.

Formal Definitions

(AKA conversion formulas)

Notes

Example of the difference between noi and poi: "ro prenu noi xamgu cu klama" is a monumentally different claim from "ro prenu poi xamgu cu klama". The former is "All people are good, and the go." The latter is "All the good people go". Formally, the former is "ro prenu ge xamgu gi klama", and the latter is "ro da poi prenu zo'u da ga nai brode gi brodi". With su'o, however, they are equivalent.