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On Tue, 17 Dec 2002, John Cowan wrote:
> Invent Yourself scripsit:
>
> > Because if I then say {mi ba'o tikpa da}, my listeners are horrified.
> > That's because da has been assigned a meaning, even though no poi was
> > used.
>
> I think this is a misuse of "meaning", though I understand what you mean.
> :-)
>
> > > The listener can't
> > > choose any dog and decide that that dog is ko'a, because the
> > > speaker might be using {ko'a} to refer to some other dog.
> >
> > Same with da.
>
> No, "da" does not refer to begin with.
>
> > It doesn't require it, but it doesn't forbid it either, and da is often
> > used to refer to specific entities that the speaker has in mind, and of
> > which the speaker wants to assert the existence, and wants to assign a
> > variable.
>
> But you can't compel the listener to accept your reference, as you can with
> ko'a.
Sorry, but I don't understand any of your 3 comments.
--
// if (!terrorist)
// ignore ();
// else
collect_data ();