TECH: experimental cmavo "xo'e"

["Mark E. Shoulson" <shoulson@CTR.COLUMBIA.EDU>]

>Date:         Thu, 6 May 1993 15:39:01 -0700
>From: hedgehog%SCRIPPS.EDU@CUVMB.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU
>X-To:         lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu

>>>Well, actually, my copy of the gimste has
>>
>>>zbasu     zba      make
>>>x1 makes/assembles/builds/manufactures/creates x2 out of materials x3
>>
>>>in which case this particular one's denying the existence of any
>>>material out of which it is made, which is a bit easier to comprehend.
>>
>>Well, isn't that just {zbasu fi noda}?  There *is* a difference between
>>{xo'e} and {noda}, but defining it is not easy.
>>
>>
>>~mark

>Isn't the difference between "zbasu fi noda" and "zbasu fi xo'e" that the
>first recognizes that x1 makes x2 from nothing (but it *could* have been
>made from something) and the second says that x1 makes x2 *period*?  "zabsu
>fi zo'e" says that x1 makes x2 from something-or-other.

But what does "x1 makes x2 period" mean?  Does it mean you're not saying
anything about the existence or non-existence of the materials?  That's {fi
zo'e}, since {zo'e} can be {noda}.  Does it mean there are no such
materials?  That's {fi noda}.  {xo'e} does seem to have a meaning in some
cases, distinct from {noda} or {zo'e}, but apparently not in this case.  I
am not sure how this can be defined in general.

~mark