PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS AN OLD VERSION. The current version is linked from The Complete Lojban Language.
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9. Minor abstraction types

The following cmavo are discussed in this section:

   li'i    NU  experience abstractor
    si'o    NU  concept abstractor
    su'u    NU  general abstractor
There are three more abstractors in Lojban, all of them little used so far. The abstractor ``li'i'' expresses experience: 
9.1)  mi morji le li'i mi verba
    I remember the experience-of (my being-a-child)
The abstractor ``si'o'' expresses a mental image, a concept, an idea: 
9.2)  mi nelci le si'o la lojban. cu mulno
    I enjoy the concept-of Lojban being-complete.
Finally, the abstractor ``su'u'' is a vague abstractor, whose meaning must be grasped from context: 

9.3)  ko zgana le su'u
        le ci smacu cu bajra
    you [imperative] observe the abstract-nature-of
        the three mice running
    See how the three mice run!
All three of these abstractors have an x2 place. An experience requires an experiencer, so the place structure of ``li'i'' is:
x1 is the experience of (the bridi) as experienced by x2
Similarly, an idea requires a mind to hold it, so the place structure of ``si'o'' is:
x1 is the idea/concept of (the bridi) in the mind of x2
Finally, there needs to be some way of specifying just what sort of abstraction ``su'u'' is representing, so its place structure is:
x1 is an abstract nature of (the bridi) of type x2
The x2 place of ``su'u'' allows it to serve as a substitute for any of the other abstractors, or as a template for creating new ones. For example, 
9.4)  le nu mi klama
    the event-of my going
can be paraphrased as 
9.5)  le su'u mi klama kei be lo fasnu
    the abstract-nature-of (my going) of-type an event
and there is a book whose title might be rendered in Lojban as: 

9.6)  le su'u la .iecuas. kuctra
        selcatra kei
        be lo sao'rdzifa'a
        ke nalmatma'e sutyterjvi
    the abstract-nature-of (Jesus is-an-intersect-shape
        type-of-killed-one)
        of-type a slope-low-direction
        type-of non-motor-vehicle speed-competition
    The Crucifixion of Jesus Considered As A
        Downhill Bicycle Race

Note the importance of using ``kei'' after ``su'u'' when the x2 of ``su'u'' (or any other abstractor) is being specified; otherwise, the ``be lo'' ends up inside the abstraction bridi.

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Indirect questions 		Events, Qualities, Quantities, And Other Vague Words: On Lojban Abstraction
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Lojban sumti raising