History: Format of Gismu Lists

Source of version: 4 (current)

The Lojban gismu list is a plain-text ASCII columnar format file.

* Column 0 is the first character position (a.k.a. column) in each line.
* Columns 1-5 is the gismu itself.
* Columns 6-19 are up to three assigned rafsi, with position in the field indicating the form CVC (columns 7-9), CCV (columns 11-13) or CVV (columns 15-18).
* Columns 20-39 is the English keyword - a unique word useful for remembering the word but not necessarily a definition; being unique was more critical than being definitional.
* Columns 41-60 is a hint word enclosed in single quotation marks, which may be an alternate word with related meaning that may be used as a memory aid (these might not be unique or unambiguous).
* Columns 62-157 is the official place structure definition.
* Columns 159-160 is a letter and number code associating the word with the ((original Lojban textbook)) outline to give the intended teaching order.
* Columns 161-164 is a frequency count from 1993, giving an ordering based on usage up to that point.

The latter two were used to generate non-alphabetical sorted lists based on
two plausible orderings in which one might want to learn the words.

* Columns 165+ contain additional information that did not fit into the place structure field, generally explanatory, with cross-references to related words.

Originally, only the first three fields were baselined, but the community
has treated the entire document as frozen for several years. The ((baupla fuzykamni|byfy)) is
responsible for making any changes to it at this point.

For information on the correct interpretation of natlang text in the gismu lists (columns 62-157 and 165+), see ((BPFK gismu Section: Parenthetical Remarks in Brivla Definitions)).

((Bob LeChevalier))
History: Format of Gismu Lists

Source of version: 4 (current)

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