WikiDiscuss

WikiDiscuss


Wiki page How to use xorlo changed

posts: 1912

> > What
> > > more can using a gadri do?
> >
> > It allows you to use the reference to make a
> > claim about
> > its referents.
>
> But I have already done that in the first place;
> even though it is the whole sentence which makes
> the reference it does also make a claim about
> that referent.

Consider these three cases:

(1) Exactly three cows are white.
(2) At least three cows are white.
(3) At most three cows are white.

With (1), I suppose you could argue that you made a reference
to all the cows that are white, and claimed about them that
they are white. I would not say that, I would say that all
one does is say how many white cows there are without referring
to the white cows.

With (2), the presumed referents are more doubtful. Are they
all the white cows, or any group of at least three white cows?
I would say that all one does with (2) is say how many white
cows there are without referring to the white cows.

With (3), we are not even sure that there are any white cows,
so talking of reference is even more iffy. I would say that
(3) just says how many white cows there are without referring
to the white cows.

True references to the white cows would be "the exactly three
cows that are white", "the at least three cows that are white"
and "the at most three cows that are white". In lojban:

lo ci bakni (poi blabi)
lo su'o ci bakni (poi blabi)
lo su'e ci bakni (poi blabi)


PA bakni cu blabi

says that the number of cows that are white is PA. It does
not refer to PA cows and say of those that they are white.
The latter is meaningless for some PA, and iffy for others.

mu'o mi'e xorxes





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