Existence and occurrence of events (was: ago24 & replies)

[Logical Language Group <lojbab>]

la .and. cusku di'e

> I agree. {lo nu} means an event that actually happens. {le nu} can mean
> anything, being nonveridical. Ideally we'll find a way to do
> +veridical irrealis. I've just posted a suggestion for using {dahi}.

Historically, Loglan/Lojban has made a distinction between an event "existing"
and it "happening" or "occurring".  Every bridi may be made into an event,
which then "exists"; the event of "my eating a hamburger for breakfast today"
exists, even though I did not eat a hamburger for breakfast today.  This is
necessary in order to use such things in opaque contexts.

In order to assert that an event happens or occurs, that it characterizes
a portion of real-world spacetime, we can use the predicate "fasnu", thus:

	lo nu mi citka pa -hamburger ca le cabdei cu na fasnu
	That-which-really-is an-event-of me eating one hamburger today
		did not happen.

-- 
John Cowan		sharing account <lojbab@access.digex.net> for now
		e'osai ko sarji la lojban.