Wiki page BPFK Section: Grammatical Pro-sumti changed
Umm, what does "outer quantifiers are always
distributive" mean? Distribution is a feature of
predicate argument places. Do you mean that the
sortal predicate place in which an outer
quantifer variable goes is always distributive?
That is clearly not right ("All those surrounding
the building wore green hats"). That it is
individual rather than plural quantification?
That the variablke range over individuals rather
than something else? This last is something we
all agree on (I think), regardless of whether we
think in terms of singular or of plural
quantification. The previous point is the status
quo though I think some cracks are appearing in
that position.
That {lo} is not marked either way for
disttributivity is a sort of taultoology right
now, since, without conventions, no sumti is
marked for distributivity (indeed, right now,
nothing is marked for distributivity — or rather
for the lack of it — since all Lojban apreicates
are distributive until some changes are made,
none of which have been broached that I have seen
and all of which require some modification in
semantics, if not in grammar). To be sure, I
have suggested that {loi} be marked as treating
the place it fills as collective unless
explicitly rejected; then {lo} could be neutral
but then would default — when there was a choice
-- to distributive (by elimination). None of
this is in place however, so you can't quite say
that it is that way, only that you envision it as
developing that way — and maybe as a first step
in that development.
wrote:
>
> pc:
> > Oops! I have you down for maintaining that
> {lo}
> > was distributive; did I miss something?
>
> The way we're defining it, {lo} is not marked
> either way for
> distributivity. Outer quantifiers are always
> distributive.
>