View source for reduction of the number of selma'o


The words of Lojban are classified, according to their grammar, in 124 selma'o (counting BRIVLA and CMENE). This number of grammar classes is excesive, and can be easily reduced without any noticeable effect in the expressiveness of the language (and in many cases with some increase in it). These 55 selma'o could be eliminated or merged with other selma'o, thereby reducing the complexity of the syntax, and thus making it easier to learn. (Arguments for each of these actions have been presented in different places, and I may in the future try to collect them here or provide links. For the moment I am only recording the list. Discussion about the general idea of selma'o number reduction or about particular cases is welcome in the discussion forum of this page. mi'e [[User:xorxes|xorxes]] )

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'''selma'o''' | '''recommended action''' | '''backwards compatibility'''

tags 

CAhA | merge with BAI | yes

CUhE | merge with BAI | yes

FAhA | merge with BAI | yes

KI | merge with BAI | yes

PU | merge with BAI | yes

TAhE | merge with BAI | yes

VA | merge with BAI | yes

VEhA | merge with BAI | yes

VIhA | eliminate/merge with BAI | no/yes

ZAhO | merge with BAI | yes

ZEhA | merge with BAI  | yes

ZI | merge with BAI | yes

MOhI | eliminate/merge with FEhE | no/yes

indicators

CAI | merge with UI | yes 

DAhO | merge with UI | yes

FUhE | merge with UI | yes

FUhO | merge with UI | yes

GAhO | merge with UI | almost

NAI | merge with UI | yes

RAhO | merge with UI | yes

SOI | eliminate | no

connectives

A | merge with JOI | yes (allowing NA JOI)

BIhI | merge with JOI | almost

JA | merge with JOI | yes (allowing NA JOI)

GUhA | eliminate | no

predicates

BRIVLA | merge with GOhA | yes

CMENE | merge with GOhA | almost

LA | merge with LE | almost

lerfu

FOI | eliminate/merge with BY | no/yes

LAU | eliminate/merge with BY | no/yes

TEI | eliminate/merge with BY | no/yes

termsets

CEhE | eliminate | no

NUhI | eliminate | no

NUhU | eliminate | no

PEhE | eliminate | no

MEX

BIhE | eliminate | no

FUhA | eliminate | no

JOhI | eliminate | no

KUhE | eliminate | no

MAhO | eliminate | no

MOhE | eliminate | no

NAhU | eliminate | no

NIhE | eliminate | no

NUhA | eliminate | no

PEhO | eliminate | no

TEhU | eliminate | no

VEI | eliminate | no

VEhO | eliminate | no

VUhU | eliminate/merge with JOI | no

terminators

LOhO | eliminate/merge with BOI | no/yes

MEhU | merge with MOI | almost

odds and ends

COI | merge with DOI | yes

NIhO | merge with I | yes

CEI | eliminate | no

SA | eliminate | no

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The surviving selma'o are:

BAI BAhE BE BEI BEhO BO BOI BU BY CO CU DOI DOhU FA FAhO FEhE FEhU FIhO GA GEhU GI GIhA GOI 

GOhA I JAI JOI KE KEhE KEI KOhA KU KUhO LAhE LE LEhU LI LIhU LOhU LU LUhU MAI ME MOI NA NAhE 

NOI NU PA ROI SE SEI SEhU SI SU TO TOI TUhE TUhU UI VAU VUhO XI Y ZEI ZIhE ZO ZOI ZOhU