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