History: BPFK Section: Vocatives

Proposed Definitions And Examples

be'e (COI)

Vocative. Used to make a request to speak. (cf. ju'i, ta'a)

• Keywords: Request to send.

be'e nolni'u io

re'i

.e'o ga'i nai ko dunda lo sicni

Pardon me, ma'am.

Yes?

Can you spare a dime?

co'o (COI)

Vocative. Used to express an acknowledgement of parting. (cf. tolrinsa)

• Keywords: Bye-bye, goodbye, farewell, so long, adieu, Godspeed.

co'o ro do

Goodbye, everyone!

coi (COI)

Vocative. Used to express greeting. (cf. rinsa)

• Keywords: Hi, hello, howdy, hail, salaam.

coi pe mi pendo do mo

Hello my friend, what are you up to?

fe'o (COI)

Vocative. Used to indicate the end of a discussion.

• Keywords: Over and out.

.ai mi na stali gi'e tirna ti .i fe'o

I'm not staying to listen to this! Have a nice day!

fi'i (COI)

Vocative. Used to greet cordially a visitor or recent arrival, express hospitality.

• Keywords: Welcome, make yourself at home.

fi'i .djan. mi'a denpa tu'a do

Welcome, John! We were waiting for you.

fi'i nai (COI*)

Vocative. Used to express inhospitality.

• Keywords:

le'o ko na rivbi fi'i nai palci je tolvri danlu

Grr! Avoid not, unwelcome evil and cowardly beast!

je'e (COI)

Vocative. Used to indicate receipt of a message, acknowledge offers and thanks.

• Keywords: Roger, got it, gotcha, okey, you're welcome.

zo .faidon. cu pagbu cy. ly. ly.

je'e

"faidon" is in CLL.

Okey.

je'e nai (COI*)

Vocative. Used to deny acknowledgement.

• Keywords:

je'e nai .i mi na jimpe

Sorry, I don't understand.

ju'i (COI)

Vocative. Used to attract attention.

• Keywords: Hey.

ju'i lobypli

Hey, Lojbanist!

ju'i .djan. ko catlu ti

Hey, John, look at this.

ju'i cu'i (COI*)

Vocative. Used as a command for troops to assume a relaxed position.

• Keywords: At ease.

ju'i cu'i doi sonci

At ease, soldiers.

ju'i nai (COI*)

Vocative. Used to draw attention away from oneself.

• Keywords: Ignore me.

ua mi ba'o tolcri ju'i nai

Oh, I found it, never mind.

ke'o (COI)

Vocative. Used to ask for repetition. (cf. je'e nai)

• Keywords: please repeat

ke'o do'u mi na pu tirna

What did you say? I didn't hear.

ki'e (COI)

Vocative. Used to express gratitude.

• Keywords: Thanks.

ki'e sai .i ti melbi

Thank you very much! It's beautiful.

ki'e nai (COI*)

Vocative. Used to express that an expected help was not received.

• Keywords: No thanks to you.

mi ba'o facki ki'e nai

I've found it myself, no thanks to you!

mi'e (COI)

Used for self-introduction.

• Keywords:

coi mi'e nolraitru be le munje

Hi, I'm the King of the Universe.

mi'e nai (COI*)

Use for denial of identity.

• Keywords:

coi djan

mi'e nai djan

Hi, John.

I'm not John.

mu'o (COI)

Vocative. Used to give up the floor.

• Keywords: over

do ma zvati mu'o

What's your location? Over.

mu'o nai (COI*)

Vocative. Used to continue to hold the floor.

• Keywords: more to come

i je ko'a ma mi cusku pau nai mu'o nai

And what did they tell me?

nu'e (COI)

Vocative. Used to make a promise.

• Keywords: I promise.

nu'e do'u mi ba xruti za lo cacra be li me'i pa

I promise I'll be back in less than an hour.

nu'e cu'i (COI*)

Vocative. Used to indicate that one is not promising anything.

• Keywords: No promises.

.a'i sai mi cpacu va'u do nu'e cu'i

I'll do my best to get it for you, but I don't promise anything.

nu'e nai (COI*)

Vocative. Used to take back a promise.

• Keywords:

nu'e do'u mi na za'u re'u pante ca le cabdei .i .yy go'i nu'e nai .i .oi ti rigni

I promise I won't complain again today. Umm... I better take that back. This stinks!

pe'u (COI)

Vocative. Used to make a polite request.

• Keywords: Please.

pe'u do'u ko na dunda lo cidja le danlu

Please don't feed the animals.

re'i (COI)

Vocative. Used to express readiness to listen.

• Keywords: Ready to receive.

re'i do'u do ma sisku

Yes? What were you looking for?

re'i nai (COI*)

Vocative. Used to indicate not being ready to listen or pay attention.

• Keywords: Not ready to receive.

ko denpa ze'a lo mentu re'i nai

Just wait a minute please.

ta'a (COI)

Vocative. Used to interrupt.

• Keywords: Excuse me, pardon me

ta'a da ma stuzi lo vimku'a

Excuse me, could someone tell me where the bathroom is?

vi'o (COI)

Vocative. Used to indicate readiness to comply.

• Keywords: Wilco (ack and will comply), will do.

pe'u do'u ko kargau lo canko

vi'o

Could you please open a window?

Sure.

doi (DOI)

Vocative. Used to identify intended listener.

• Keywords:

ko ti klama doi gerku

Come here doggie.

do'u (DOhU)

Terminator for COI and DOI phrases. (cf. doi, be'e, co'o, coi, fe'o, fi'i, je'e, ju'i, ke'o, ki'e, mi'e, mu'o, nu'e, pe'u, re'i, ta'a, vi'o)

• Keywords: end vocative

Notes

• coi co'o and doi do'u were removed. No special definition needed.

• nu'e cu'i was changed to "non-promise", becasue "promise realease" didn't seem to fit the scale. To release someone else from a promise one could use perhaps nu'e nai dai?

Poll