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Donkey sentence: Difference between revisions

Donkey sentence (view source)

Revision as of 01:47, 22 February 2022

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It is named after the following prototypical example of such a sentence:
It is named after the following prototypical example of such a sentence:


{{Example|Kỉaı tu hảqpāochē bö hóa sa ảqshē cy, <u>áqshē</u> da.|“Every farmer who owns a donkey, cares for <u>it</u>.”}}
{{Example|Kỉaı tu hảqpaoche bö hóa sa ảqshe cy, <u>áqshe</u> da.|“Every farmer who owns a donkey, cares for <u>it</u>.”}}


The English sentence is clearly valid English. But the straightforward translation into logic of such a sentence is not well-formed:
The English sentence is clearly valid English. But the straightforward translation into logic of such a sentence is not well-formed:
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Is the above Toaq sentence valid? What does it mean?
Is the above Toaq sentence valid? What does it mean?


Hoemāı considers the case of anaphoric reference to a binding from a previous sentence not so different, and calls such pronouns ''donkey'' as well. There is then a "[https://discord.com/channels/311223912044167168/311223912044167168/877607261684518922 crude handling of donkey pronouns]" demonstrated in [https://toaqlanguage.wordpress.com/2019/07/24/on-quantifiers-and-variables-grammar-update/ ''On quantifiers and variables'']:
Hoemaı considers the case of anaphoric reference to a binding from a previous sentence not so different, and calls such pronouns ''donkey'' as well. There is then a "[https://discord.com/channels/311223912044167168/311223912044167168/877607261684518922 crude handling of donkey pronouns]" demonstrated in [https://toaqlanguage.wordpress.com/2019/07/24/on-quantifiers-and-variables-grammar-update/ ''On quantifiers and variables'']:


<blockquote>{{t|Kảqgāı jí sa gủosō da. Nủo gúosō da.}}<br>[∃G : guosō(G)] kaqgāı(J,G). [∀R : raı(R) ∧ guosō(R) ∧ kaqgāı(J,R)] nuo(R).<br>“I see some cows. They (the cows) are asleep.”<br>“I see some cows. All the cows that I see are asleep.”</blockquote>
<blockquote>{{t|Kảqgaı jí sa gủoso da. Nủo gúoso da.}}<br>[∃G : guoso(G)] kaqgaı(J,G). [∀R : raı(R) ∧ guoso(R) ∧ kaqgaı(J,R)] nuo(R).<br>“I see some cows. They (the cows) are asleep.”<br>“I see some cows. All the cows that I see are asleep.”</blockquote>


Note the "surprising ∀ quantifier" in the logical translation of the second sentence. For as long as {{t|gúosō}} is logically out of scope, but not explicitly rebound, it refers to "'''all''' the cows that I see". [https://discord.com/channels/311223912044167168/311223912044167168/877608075857637386 “The point of it is to catch the same things as appeared in the previous sentence … instead of just any.”]
Note the "surprising ∀ quantifier" in the logical translation of the second sentence. For as long as {{t|gúoso}} is logically out of scope, but not explicitly rebound, it refers to "'''all''' the cows that I see". [https://discord.com/channels/311223912044167168/311223912044167168/877608075857637386 “The point of it is to catch the same things as appeared in the previous sentence … instead of just any.”]


Applying this same "crude handling" to quantifiers in subclauses, the meaning of the Toaq sentence above is: "All farmers who own some donkeys, care for all the donkeys that they own." This is often sufficient.
Applying this same "crude handling" to quantifiers in subclauses, the meaning of the Toaq sentence above is: "All farmers who own some donkeys, care for all the donkeys that they own." This is often sufficient.
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One idea is to explicitly anaphorically refer back to the construct containing the now-unbound variable and talk about its participants, as proposed [https://discord.com/channels/311223912044167168/311223912044167168/877609515267260437 by Hoemāı] and [https://discord.com/channels/311223912044167168/311223912044167168/887013492371099688 by Hoaqgīo].
One idea is to explicitly anaphorically refer back to the construct containing the now-unbound variable and talk about its participants, as proposed [https://discord.com/channels/311223912044167168/311223912044167168/877609515267260437 by Hoemāı] and [https://discord.com/channels/311223912044167168/311223912044167168/887013492371099688 by Hoaqgīo].


<blockquote>"If you have a pet, then the pet in the previously mentioned state of affairs does XYZ." — Hoemāı<br>"{{t|Tu rảı güo kâqgāı jí sa kủsērā bı}} … the one who participates in the {{t|guo}} by seeing something, likes the thing that participates in the {{t|guo}} by being seen." — Hoaqgīo</blockquote>
<blockquote>"If you have a pet, then the pet in the previously mentioned state of affairs does XYZ." — Hoemaı<br>"{{t|Tu rảı güo kâqgaı jí sa kủsera bı}} … the one who participates in the {{t|guo}} by seeing something, likes the thing that participates in the {{t|guo}} by being seen." — Hoaqgīo</blockquote>


== External links ==
== External links ==
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey_sentence ''Donkey sentence'' on Wikipedia]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey_sentence ''Donkey sentence'' on Wikipedia]
* [https://mw.lojban.org/papri/All_about_poi_and_noi#PA_da_noi ''All about poi and noi'' on the Lojban wiki]. The ''PA da noi'' section demonstrates a similar "surprising ∀ quantifier".
* [https://mw.lojban.org/papri/All_about_poi_and_noi#PA_da_noi ''All about poi and noi'' on the Lojban wiki]. The ''PA da noi'' section demonstrates a similar "surprising ∀ quantifier".
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