History: Reduction of the number of selma'o

Source of version: 3 (current)

The words of Lojban are classified, according to their grammar, in 124 selma'o (counting BRIVLA and CMENE). This number of grammar classes is excesive, and can be easily reduced without any noticeable effect in the expressiveness of the language (and in many cases with some increase in it). These 55 selma'o could be eliminated or merged with other selma'o, thereby reducing the complexity of the syntax, and thus making it easier to learn. (Arguments for each of these actions have been presented in different places, and I may in the future try to collect them here or provide links. For the moment I am only recording the list. Discussion about the general idea of selma'o number reduction or about particular cases is welcome in the discussion forum of this page. mi'e ((xorxes)) ) || __selma'o__ | __recommended action__ | __backwards compatibility__ tags CAhA | merge with BAI | yes CUhE | merge with BAI | yes FAhA | merge with BAI | yes KI | merge with BAI | yes PU | merge with BAI | yes TAhE | merge with BAI | yes VA | merge with BAI | yes VEhA | merge with BAI | yes VIhA | eliminate/merge with BAI | no/yes ZAhO | merge with BAI | yes ZEhA | merge with BAI | yes ZI | merge with BAI | yes MOhI | eliminate/merge with FEhE | no/yes indicators CAI | merge with UI | yes DAhO | merge with UI | yes FUhE | merge with UI | yes FUhO | merge with UI | yes GAhO | merge with UI | almost NAI | merge with UI | yes RAhO | merge with UI | yes SOI | eliminate | no connectives A | merge with JOI | yes (allowing NA JOI) BIhI | merge with JOI | almost JA | merge with JOI | yes (allowing NA JOI) GUhA | eliminate | no predicates BRIVLA | merge with GOhA | yes CMENE | merge with GOhA | almost LA | merge with LE | almost lerfu FOI | eliminate/merge with BY | no/yes LAU | eliminate/merge with BY | no/yes TEI | eliminate/merge with BY | no/yes termsets CEhE | eliminate | no NUhI | eliminate | no NUhU | eliminate | no PEhE | eliminate | no MEX BIhE | eliminate | no FUhA | eliminate | no JOhI | eliminate | no KUhE | eliminate | no MAhO | eliminate | no MOhE | eliminate | no NAhU | eliminate | no NIhE | eliminate | no NUhA | eliminate | no PEhO | eliminate | no TEhU | eliminate | no VEI | eliminate | no VEhO | eliminate | no VUhU | eliminate/merge with JOI | no terminators LOhO | eliminate/merge with BOI | no/yes MEhU | merge with MOI | almost odds and ends COI | merge with DOI | yes NIhO | merge with I | yes CEI | eliminate | no SA | eliminate | no || The surviving selma'o are: BAI BAhE BE BEI BEhO BO BOI BU BY CO CU DOI DOhU FA FAhO FEhE FEhU FIhO GA GEhU GI GIhA GOI GOhA I JAI JOI KE KEhE KEI KOhA KU KUhO LAhE LE LEhU LI LIhU LOhU LU LUhU MAI ME MOI NA NAhE NOI NU PA ROI SE SEI SEhU SI SU TO TOI TUhE TUhU UI VAU VUhO XI Y ZEI ZIhE ZO ZOI ZOhU