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


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

RE: [jboske] Re: {lo} != {da poi}, & another Excellent Solution



Nick:
> Every time I hear of an Excellent Solution, I reach for my gun. :-)
> 
> cu'u la .and 
> 
> >The following facts are incompatible:
> >{lo blanu} means "da poi is-a-countable-blue-thing".<BR>
> >{ti blanu} means "this is blue", not "this is-a-countable-blue-thing".<BR>
> 
> How do you figure?

Various reasons, which I won't list, because you endorse below
what I meant.
 
> If {ti} denotes only countables, than {ti blanu} does indeed mean 
> "this is-a-countable-blue-thing" 
> 
> If {ti} can also denote non-countables (and surely that is so), then 
> it is merely ambiguous 
> 
> {lo blanu} = {da poi "is-a-countable-blue-thing"}. Of these 
> components, the 'countable' comes from {lo}, and the 'blue' from 
> {blanu} 
> {pisu'o loi blanu} = {da poi "is-a-non-countable-blue-thing"} 
> Clearly, the denotation of {blanu} itself includes both countables 
> and non-countables; it is +/- countable 
> 
> {ti} likewise includes in its potential denotation both countables 
> and non-countables 
> 
> So in the absence of a gadri indicating countability, {ti  blanu} is 
> unspecified as to countability. Where is the problem?

{lo blanu} isn't synonymous with {da poi blanu}. The former
is countable, the latter is unspecified for countability.

> Sure our usual metalanguage speaks only of da as individuals.  But 
> that is untenable: da must also be able to refer to masses, sets, and 
> whatever else might come up 
> 
> Of your alternatives (can't cut and paste from browser for some reason):
> 
> "this is blue" = {ti du pisu'o loi blanu}? Wholly unnecessary 
> 
> Scrap lo = da poi? Also verboten. But note that if da encompasses 
> both individuals and masses, then both lo = da poi and loi = da poi, 
> and you need an extra predicate to differentiate between the two 
> (zi'e poi selci, zi'e poi gunma) 

You yourself are here scrapping lo broda = da poi broda, on the
grounds of it being inconsistent with other CLL stuff.

--And.