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xorxes: > la lojbab cusku di'e > > > >But "they" aren't still rice, but "it" is still rice - is has lost its > > > >clear divisibility > > > > > >By "they" I meant "rice pulp" and "rice flour". If rice pulp > > >is a quantity of rice then it is rismi, if rice flour is a > > >quantity of rice then it is rismi. That depends on the meaning > > >of rismi, not on the meaning of loi > > > >No, I think it is based on the meaning of loi. Whether those things are > >rismi depends on what the relevant emergent properties are for the context > > My point is that they will be loi rismi in the same contexts in > which they are lo rismi. lo/loi only indicate how they enter > into relationships with other things That is true for the individuals--collective distinction, but not for the individuals--substance distinction. Saying what "lo/loi" do and don't indicate is silly, given that currently the meaning of "loi" is completely up in the air. Even if you do want to argue as though "lei/loi = collective" were a given, it's not going to help in discussing things with Lojbab, because he is simply going to argue on the basis of *his* understanding of loi, which is some kind of conflation of Substance and Collective. And the result will be wasted discussion. > > > >Any broda can be considered a substance. Some are not usefully > >considered > > > >a substance, but all MAY be > > > > > >Yes, but that does not call for a substance gadri > > > >I'm not sure I am calling for a substance gadri. That's the problem with > >these silly arguments; I've forgotten what the point was several days ago > > We were distinguishing the Collective and Substance meanings > that loi/lei are claimed to have. John (and presumably you as > well) argue that loi/lei has a blend of both meanings. I'm > arguing that Substance is incompatible with inner quantifiers > I also argue that anything describable as {loi broda} in one > relationship can be described as {lo broda} in the same > situation but participating in another relationship. In other > words, lo/loi do not describe the things, they only indicate > how the things enter into relationships with other things, > whether individually or all together In other words, your argument is: 1. Inner quantifiers are incompatible with Substance. (True.) 2. {lei/loi PA} is grammatical and presumably meaningful. 3. Therefore, {lei/loi} mustn't be Substance. 4. This leaves the way open for {lei/loi} to just do Collective, as per standard piano-carrying examples. That argument seems pretty unassailable to me, and I will join you in it. --And.