observative: Difference between revisions

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==Unofficial opinions==
==Unofficial opinions==
*[[User:xalbo|la xalbo]]}:
*[[User:xalbo|la xalbo]]:
**If you erase from your mind all mention of the term  "observative", your understanding of lojban will increase.
**If you erase from your mind all mention of the term  "observative", your understanding of lojban will increase.

Revision as of 17:48, 21 May 2017

observative, a bare selbrisni, some sumti of which (especially the x1 one in the head of the clause).

Quotes from CLL

Such a bridi, with empty x1, is called an “observative”, because it usually calls on the listener to observe something in the environment which would belong in the x1 place. The third translation above shows this observative nature. Sometimes it is the relationship itself which the listener is asked to observe.

Example 9.31.

bloti teka'a la nu,IORK.
A boat from New York! [literally]

Example 10.151.

jelca
It burns! [literally]

the prudent Lojbanist will assume the meaning “Fire!”

Example 13.21.

.ii smacu
Eek! A mouse! [literally]

Example 13.21 shows an attitude-colored observative; the attitudinal modifies the situation described by the observative, namely the mouse that is causing the emotion. Lojban-speaking toddlers, if there ever are any, will probably use sentences like Example 13.21 a lot.

A bridi marked by za'a is based on perception or direct observation by the speaker. This use of “observe” is not connected with the Lojban “observative”, or bridi with the first sumti omitted. The latter has no explicit aspect, and could be a direct observation, a conclusion, an opinion, or other aspectual point of view.

A final use of giheks is to combine bridi-tails used as complete sentences, the Lojban observative:

Example 14.57.

klama le zarci gi'e dzukla le briju

Since x1 is omitted in both of the bridi underlying Example 14.57, this compound bridi does not necessarily imply that the goer and the walker are the same. Only the presence of an explicit x1 (other than zo'e, which is equivalent to omission) can force the goer and the walker to be identical.

Unofficial opinions

  • la xalbo:
    • If you erase from your mind all mention of the term "observative", your understanding of lojban will increase.