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Event contours: ZAhO and ``re'u'' |
Imaginary Journeys: The Lojban Space/Time Tense System
The Lojban Reference Grammar |
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The following cmavo is discussed in this section:
fe'e FEhE space interval modifier flag
Like time intervals, space intervals can also be continuous,
discontinuous, or repetitive. Rather than having a whole
separate set of selma'o for space interval properties, we
instead prefix the flag ``fe'e'' to the cmavo used for time
interval properties. A space interval property would be placed
just after the space interval size and/or dimensionality cmavo:
11.1) ko vi'i fe'e di'i
sombo le gurni
You-imperative [1-dimensional] [space:] [regularly]
sow the grain.
Sow the grain in a line and evenly!
11.2) mi fe'e ciroi
tervecnu lo selsalta
I [space:] [three places]
buy those-which-are salad-ingredients.
I buy salad ingredients in three locations.
11.3) ze'e roroi ve'e
fe'e roroi ku
li re su'i re du li vo
[whole time] [all times] [whole space]
[space:] [all places]
The-number 2 + 2 = the-number 4.
Always and everywhere, two plus two is four.
As shown in Example 11.3, when a tense comes first in a bridi, rather than in its normal position before the selbri (in this case ``du''), it is emphasized.
The ``fe'e'' marker can also be used for the same purpose before members of ZAhO. (The cmavo ``be'a'' belongs to selma'o FAhA; it is the space direction meaning ``north of''.)
11.4) tu ve'abe'a
fe'e co'a rokci
that-yonder [medium space interval - north]
[space] [initiative] is-a-rock.
That is the beginning of a rock extending to my north.
That is the south face of a rock.
Here the notion of a ``beginning point'' represented by the
cmavo ``co'a'' is transferred from ``beginning in time'' to
``beginning in space'' under the influence of the ``fe'e''
flag. Space is not inherently oriented, unlike time, which
flows from past to future: therefore, some indication of
orientation is necessary, and the ``ve'abe'a'' provides an
orientation in which the south face is the ``beginning'' and
the north face is the ``end'', since the rock extends from
south (near me) to north (away from me).
Many natural languages represent time by a space-based metaphor: in English, what is past is said to be ``behind us''. In other languages, the metaphor is reversed. Here, Lojban is representing space (or space interval modifiers) by a time-based metaphor: the choice of a FAhA cmavo following a VEhA cmavo indicates which direction is mapped onto the future. (The choice of future rather than past is arbitrary, but convenient for English-speakers.)
If both a TAhE (or ROI) and a ZAhO are present as space interval modifiers, the ``fe'e'' flag must be prefixed to each.
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Previous
Event contours: ZAhO and ``re'u'' |
Imaginary Journeys: The Lojban Space/Time Tense System
The Lojban Reference Grammar |
Next
Tenses as sumti tcita |