Re: Cupfuls (Was: Some how do you say it's)

[John Cowan <snark!cowan@GVLS1.VFL.PARAMAX.COM>]

la kolin. cusku di'e

> So you're saying that kabrylai should mean
>
> x1 is a quantity of x2 measured in cups [by standard x3]
>
> but this is directly reversed from all the pre-defined
> measure words.
> Suppose my local volume measure is cupfuls (eg I'm in
> the world of US cookery). Then cupful is also
> dekpu: x1 is x2 local volume unit(s) (ie cups), x3 subunits (defaults 1),
>  standard x4
>
> I really don't like this. If the latter is a good idea for defining
> measure words, then -lai compounds should have it too,
> and b*****r  dikyjvo.

I agree with the complaint, but not the resolution.  Colin's point makes
me think that it is "klani" that has the problem: that we should make
"le klani" that which is measured/counted, and "le se klani" the quantifier.
The resulting proposed place structure is:

        x1 is quantified/measured/enumerated by x2 on scale x3 (si'o)

Comments?

--
John Cowan      cowan@snark.thyrsus.com         ...!uunet!lock60!snark!cowan
                        e'osai ko sarji la lojban.