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.ei as I see it



Jorge:
>Surely it's the second!  We have the following possibilities:

Unless contradicted in the Book, I interpret your examples as

>        ei mi klama
>        I must come.

I am coming (I feel obliged to).

>        ei mi na klama
>        I must not come.

I'm not coming (I feel obliged not to).

>        einai mi klama
>        I don't have to come.
>        (I may not come.)

I am coming (I am free to do so)

>        einai mi na klama
>        I don't have to not come.
>        (I may come.)

I am not coming (I am free not to do so).

I am imagining a wedding as a situation where various invited or
uninvited people associated with the bride/groom might express any of
these.

>Unfortunately "einai" is glossed as "freedom" in the cmavo list, which
>would reverse the meaning of last two.  "Freedom to do something" is not
>the same as "non-obligation to do something", but rather it is
>"non-obligation to NOT do something".  I don't think that the "nai" of
>"einai" should have this double negative implication, so I propose to
>fix the gloss in the cmavo list.

"freedom" means "freedom from obligation" in the case of the cmavo list
which has traditionally been limited to a keyword size appropriate to
LogFlash.  There are numerous places like this one where the keyword is
inadequate or perhaps misleading in some contexts (especially if
negation is involved).

I think "eicu'i" is a weaker form of 'non-obligation', which is why the
"einai" is glossed as freedom - choice not only lacking but perhaps
eschewing obligation.
----
lojbab                                                lojbab@access.digex.net
Bob LeChevalier, President, The Logical Language Group, Inc.
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