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lo'e, le'e: particles which, given a population of broda, constructs a single entity that is meant to be representative in some way of the population. lo'e broda has no denotation, and is an intensional construct.
Since lo'e and le'e are not denotational, its meaning can only be determined by the sense relations it enters into with the rest of the language --- in effect, what may be predicated on it. Since lo'e broda in particular is intended to be representative of the population of {broda}, the claims predicable of lo'e broda need to be related in some way to the claims predicable of the individual members of {broda}.
There are several ways in which such claims can be abstracted to a single entity (singularisation) and remain representative. A predicate can be claimed as true of lo'e broda if it holds true of a majority of {broda} (Mode). It may be claimed true of lo'e broda if it is the average of the values of the elements of {broda} (Average). It may be claimed true of lo'e broda if it is the median of the values of the elements of {broda} (Median). These ways are all objective: the claim an extensional knowledge of the entire population.
It is possible to have objective singularisations which are unrepresentative; for instance, Maximum.
There are also subjective ways of abstracting such claims. A predicate can be claimed as true of le'e broda if it holds true of the best exemplars of {broda}, for some culture-specific notion of 'best' (Exemplar). A predicate can be claimed as true of le'e broda if it draws on instances of {broda} regarded in a culture-specifically negative light, and with no concern for objective evaluation of the entire population (Exemplar).
The prototypical means of abstraction is intermediate between these two. Like the subjective means, the prototype is a culture- and experience-specific construct. However, where fuzzy membership into the set of {broda} is allowed, the prototypical traits are as close as one can come to an objective set of criteria for evaluating membership. The prototype is, as it were, a benignly subjective construct, which still has some claims of representativeness of the entire population.
lo'e is a predicate relating a singular entity, a population, and a means of singularisation. As is typical of Lojban predicates, when the value of the singularisation is not made explicit, it is deemed underspecified. This means that without further specification, lo'e brode may be Median, Mode, or Average; any statement involving lo'e broda will be true in all three cases. The decision on which singularisation applies is left to pragmatics (but see on defaults below), and must be interrogable by the interlocutor --- again, as is characteristic of Lojban predicates.
Since there is no provision in Lojban for places of gadri, the singularisation is specified by {pe veju'o} after {lo'e/e'e broda}. Possible values include: {mupli}: exemplary, ---- {stereotype}, {klusi'o}: prototype, {kantymidju}: median, {cnano}: average, {cmikantymau}: mode
The distinction between lo'e and le'e, given past keywords and the parallels in the lo/le paradigm, can be based on the following features:
+/- veridical+/- specific (whether the population is all of broda or a specific subset}
+/- objective +/- representativeI want +/- objective to be the criterion, and while I do not consider prototype to be objective (or even veridical --- if veridicality even applies to this construct). However, this setup for lo'e readily allows the objectivity and representativeness to be discerned by interrogative the singularisation --- but does not allow the specificity, the membership of the sample population, to be interrogated. Therefore And wins: the distinction between lo'e and le'e is one of specifity.
While officially lo'e and le'e are by default underspecified as to singularisation, I believe there are sensible defaults. IMO only,
lo'e: +objective +representative le'e: -objective -representative This allows le'e to remain stereotypical, and lo'e to remain typical. My own opinion is that the prototype is -objective +representative. Maximum is +objective -representative.Defaults should be settable in advance in a discourse ("All my singularisations shall be prototypes".) Moreover, I would be sympathetic to exp.cmavo of the form, say, lo'e'V disambiguating between the various singularisations (say lo'e'a for prototype, lo'e'e for median.) But lo'e itself should be officially underspecified as to singularisation.
-- DR NICK NICHOLAS. FRENCH/ITALIAN, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA. nickn@hidden.email Tour orghnie tou gerou na ninere, http://www.opoudjis.net tou p!ounte si na mh si ninere:"Hearken to an old man's advice --- not to his farts." Tsakonian proverb.