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And's problem phrases



Challenges And:

>Since we're on the subject, I'll put another challenge to Lojbab & Co.
>Translate the following.
>1  Man is mortal.
>   [from this we get the syllogism
>    Socrates is a man.
>    Therefore Socrates is mortal.]

roda poi remna cu morsi
.i la sokrates. remna
.iseni'ibo la sokrates. morsi

>2  Man is immortal.
>    [from this we DO NOT get:
>     Socrates is immortal.]

pisu'oloi remna na morsi? Yes, this is cheating, but it does sorta work...

>3  The witchcraft trial lasted for 5 days. [generic]
>   [W was a witchcraft trial.
>    Therefore W lasted for 5 days. - Yes.]

lenu pajni lei pruxypre cu djedi li mu

>4  The witchcraft trial lasted for 5 centuries (and was then abolished).
>   [W was a witchcraft trial.
>    Therefore W lasted for 5 centuries. - No.]

lenu fasnu fa loi nu pajni loi pruxypre cu ctona'a li mu
(lenu nu pajni cu ctona'a li mu ?)

>5  Sophy jogged for an hour each day. [habitual]

lenu la sofis. bajra cu cacra li pa ca ro djedi

>6  Sophy jogged for five years (but then gave up).

la sofis di'i bajra ca'o lo nanca be li mu
( la sofis bajra di'i lo nanca be li mu ?)

>7  Sophy jogged for an hour each day for five years.

lenu lenu la sofis. ca'a bajra cu cacra li pa ca ro djedi cu nancu li mu

Of course, And, I know these answers completely miss the point (and are probably
very very wrong). The reason I'm posting them is to get someone else to say
something better. These look like material for the massification paper John
may yet right; but the Sophy examples may deserve mention in the tense paper.
For now, count them as yet another not-yet-formally-specified part of Lojban
grammar. John?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Nick Nicholas, Melbourne Uni, Australia.  nsn@{munagin.ee|mundil.cs}.mu.oz.au
"Despite millions of dollars of research, death continues to be this nation's
number one killer"      - Henry Gibson, Kentucky Fried Movie
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