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

[Mr Andrew Rosta <ucleaar@UCL.AC.UK>]

Colin writes:
> And answer
> I'm sorry, but despite the current English 'use' (which seems to
> subcategorise for _illegal_ drug), I cannot see that the tanko is
>  a tool, apparatus, machine etc. It would be strange in English
> or Lojban to 'use' food or drink, except in the special case where
> the purpose is in focus: 'I use food as a boredom reliever'.

The notion 'instrument' - where X acts on the instrument and the
i. acts on Y, but still under X's control is widespread across
langauges, & pilno would seem the appropriate gismu for this
idea. It so happens that most instruments are tools, machines,
& so on, but this is not a necessary condition. So not only do
I regard tankypli as adequate, I also regard it as entirely
appropriate.

> tanko danmo vasxu
> and
> sigja danmo vasxu (sigdamva'u)

These are also okay, though a bit more verbose. It is better as
a lujvo, since as a tanru a prohibition on tanko danmo vasxu
might be taken as a prohibition on inhalation, which some
smokers do not do anyway.

I would keep "tankypli" for tobacco consumption in general,
and use "sigdamvaho" to translate English "drag" and "toke"
(as in "give us a toke on your spliff"). "Spliff" presumably
is a hemp plesigja. (I thought there was a gismu for hemp,
but I seem to be mistaken.)

----
And