This pages is based on me collecting what I thought was the best options out of Magic Words Alternatives. The core is Cowan's version, which in turn uses xorxes' LTR processing idea.

Magic Words

Magic words are all cmavo that have some interaction with words as words irrespective of the function of those words. These are SI SA SU ZO ZOI LOhU LEhU ZEI BU and FAhO. (BAhE, even though it can modify any word, is not a magic word, because it doesn't affect the function of the word it modifies).

Many magic words convert the words they affect into a member of the special grammatical classes any-word and any-string. A member of one of these special grammatical classes has no selma'o for purposes of the rest of the Lojban grammar.

Meta-Rules

1. Y+BU (i.e. ".y. bu") is considered a single word of selma'o BU. This conversion is done before any other processing of any kind.
2. Magic words are processed left-to-right.
3. Y is not a word (i.e. it is considered whitespace) for the purposes of these definitions.

Mini-Definitions

1. ZO binds with the following word. The combination is considered a single word of the pseudo selma'o any-word, except for SA matching purposes, where it retains the selma'o ZO.
2. LOhU turns all following Lojban words up to but not including a LEhU into words of the pseudo selma'o any-word. If the LEhU (but not the LOhU) is removed or rendered grammatically inoperative (as with SI, ZEI or BU), this continues to happen until the LEhU is replaced.
3. LEhU terminates a LOhU-quote. It is never elidable.
4. ZEI binds with the preceding word and the following word. The combination is considered a single brivla (i.e. it is treated as just one word).
5. BU binds with the preceding word. The combination is considered a single word of selma'o BY.
6. ZOI uses the following word as a delimiting word and binds with it and further text until the same word is repeated, inclusive of both delimiters. Both delimiter words lose their grammatical function. The combination is considered a single word of the pseudo selma'o any-string, except for SA matching purposes, where it retains the selma'o ZOI.
7. SI erases the preceding word. The construct becomes invisible to the rest of the text. SI at the beginning of text have no effect, but are not in error.
8. SA erases the preceding text back until it sees a word of the same selma'o as the word that follows SA, which replaces it. Words whose selma'o has been changed to any-word or any-string are invisible to SA for purposes to decided what to erase; they are erased as any other word would be. If a word of the same selma'o is not found (which will always be the case with SI and SU), it erases back to the beginning of text. SA at the beginning of text have no effect, but are not in error.
9. SU erases all words back to the beginning of text. The construct becomes invisible to the rest of the text. SU at the beginning of text have no effect, but are not in error.
10. FAhO terminates the text, absorbing preceding words until the remaining text is grammatical.

Marking Words

• BAhE binds with and marks the following word but does not change its nature. The construct behaves just as the morked word by itself. The two words are considered distinct for SA matching purposes, however.
• Attitudinals (UI and CAI cmavo) mark the previous word, quoted word, LOhU-quote, ZEI-lujvo, lerfu word, or ZOI-phrase, but do not change its nature. One NAI can follow any UI or CAI cmavo. Attitudinals do not blend into a single word with the word they modify, but remain as separate words for the purposes of magic words that come after them. Multiple UI cmavo may be used in succession. They may also be used at the beginning of text.
• DAhO, FUhE, and FUhO are the same as UI, but do not absorb a following NAI.

Examples