[YG Conlang Archives] > [engelang group] > messages [Date Index] [Thread Index] >

[Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]

Xorban multivar bindings; "complements"

On another thread, I was trying to translate "the difference between [either] (A1 and A2) or (B1 or B2)" and came up with:

la ja li {A1}i lu {A2}u frcikuka li {B1}i lu {B2}u frcikuka
"[that which is either] the difference between A1 and A2, or the difference between B1 and B2"

Naturally we want to shorten that so I came up with nonstandard:

la liku ja je {A1}i {A2}u je {B1}i {B2}u frcikuka
"[that which is] the difference between either (A1 and A2) or (B1 and B2)".

...using nonstandard binder {liku} which binds two variables using one restriction, and applies them to one predication.

It seemed useful, but now I realize that {liku} is simply a shortcut {li smi lu}, so it's not strictly needed.

===========================

Secondly, about terminology.  We need a term for the sort of non-formulaic _expression_ that needs a formula to become a formula.  In other words, a term that can be applied to binder with its restriction.  I would suggest "complement".

Incidentally, the original production rules, which captured the idea of a complement but called it an "operator", were something like (stuff on the right side obviously filler):

formula := predicate | operator formula
operator:= binary-operator | unary-operator
binary-operator := BV formula
unary-operator := NV
predicate := CCC+args

These could become:

formula := simple-formula | complement formula
complement := unary-operator | binary-operator formula
binary-operator := BV
unary-operator := NV
simple-formula := CCC+args

I would change "predicate" to "simple-formula" in these rules.  The actual predicate is the CCC* without the args.