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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.