PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS AN OLD VERSION. The current version is linked from The Complete Lojban Language.
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12. The sumti ``di'u'' and ``la'e di'u''

In English, I might say ``The dog is beautiful'', and you might reply ``This pleases me.'' How do you know what ``this'' refers to? Lojban uses different expressions to convey the possible meanings of the English:

12.1)    le gerku [ku] cu melbi
    -------------    =====
    The dog is beautiful.

The following three sentences all might translate as ``This pleases me.''

12.2)    ti [cu] pluka mi
    --      ===== --
    This (the dog) pleases me.

12.3)    di'u [cu] pluka mi
    ----      ===== --
    This (the last sentence) pleases me
    (perhaps because it is grammatical or sounds nice).

12.4)    la'e di'u [cu] pluka mi
    ---------      =====
    This (the meaning of the last sentence; i.e. that
    the dog is beautiful) pleases me.
Example 12.4 uses one sumti to point to or refer to another by inference. It is common to write ``la'edi'u'' as a single word; it is used more often than ``di'u'' by itself.
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