Re: TEXT: le gunse ku joi le lorxu

[jorge@PHYAST.PITT.EDU]

la goran cusku di'e
> Jorge doesn't approve this explanation. I still hold it. Let's see: le
> means in-mind referrent. You can't have an in-mind referrent if it's a
> new one. Dunno. Maybe. You still have to explain your stand to me,
> xorxes...

English uses the indefinite article for first mention.  "I met _a_ man
this morning.  He was wearing a hat."

I don't think this is required in Lojban.  Would you say {mi penmi le
nanmu ca le cerni i ny dasni lo mapku} or {mi penmi lo nanmu ca le cerni
i ny dasni lo mapku}?

I don't think I would use {le mapku} instead of {lo mapku}, unless I was
interested in talking more about it, but I prefer {le nanmu}.

In English, the choice seems to depend on what information the listener
has.  If it's the first time the listener hears about the man, you'd use
"a", and after that "the".  But in Lojban the choice is made by how
specific is the referent in the speaker's mind.  If they're going to
discuss a particular man, they will use {le}.  If all that matters is
that it was a man that they met (as opposed to a woman or a table) then
they will use {lo}, and probably not mention him again.

At least that's how I see it.

Jorge