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Underfilling: Difference between revisions
→In other (quasi-)logical languages: changed nazbi to klama :p
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In logic or mathematics, there's no sensible way to "underfill" a relation. "Twelve is divisible by three" makes sense, but "Twelve is divisible" does not. So when we turn "I hear it" into "I hear", what is really going on? | In logic or mathematics, there's no sensible way to "underfill" a relation. "Twelve is divisible by three" makes sense, but "Twelve is divisible" does not. So when we turn "I hear it" into "I hear", what is really going on? | ||
== Verb families == | == Theories of underfilling == | ||
=== Verb families === | |||
One explanation is that, for example, {{t|huogaı}} is actually a "verb family" of three verbs in a trenchcoat: | One explanation is that, for example, {{t|huogaı}} is actually a "verb family" of three verbs in a trenchcoat: | ||
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This is tidy, but it doesn't gives us a predictable rule for what the intransitive version of a transitive verb means. In English, "I know" means "I know '''it'''" but "I eat" means "I eat '''something'''". Should this distinction be mindlessly carried over into Toaq if we define {{t|dua}}<sub>1</sub> and {{t|chuq}}<sub>1</sub> as above? | This is tidy, but it doesn't gives us a predictable rule for what the intransitive version of a transitive verb means. In English, "I know" means "I know '''it'''" but "I eat" means "I eat '''something'''". Should this distinction be mindlessly carried over into Toaq if we define {{t|dua}}<sub>1</sub> and {{t|chuq}}<sub>1</sub> as above? | ||
== Implicit arguments == | === Implicit arguments === | ||
Another explanation is that when we underfill {{t|huogaı}}, the remaining slots are filled with some implicit argument. But which? All of {{t|sá raı}}, {{t|báq raı}}, {{t|ké raı}}, and a "vague definite reference" / pronoun seem to make sense in different situations. | Another explanation is that when we underfill {{t|huogaı}}, the remaining slots are filled with some implicit argument. But which? All of {{t|sá raı}}, {{t|báq raı}}, {{t|ké raı}}, and a "vague definite reference" / pronoun seem to make sense in different situations. | ||
== Disallowing underfilling == | === Disallowing underfilling === | ||
An extreme idea is to ban sentences like {{t|Huogaı jí}}, forcing the speaker to say something explicit and specific like {{t|Huogaı jí sá}} or {{t|Huogaı jí hóq}}. This is semantically watertight but annoying. | An extreme idea is to ban sentences like {{t|Huogaı jí}}, forcing the speaker to say something explicit and specific like {{t|Huogaı jí sá}} or {{t|Huogaı jí hóq}}. This is semantically watertight but annoying. | ||
== Other contexts == | |||
=== Determiners === | |||
Even saying something like {{t|sá chuq}} invokes our theory of underfilling, as {{t|chuq}} does not have an object. So, does it mean "someone who eats it", or "someone who eats something"? Or does it simply involve the intransitive {{t|chuq}}<sub>1</sub>? For words with two slots, this can be solved by using [[Object incorporation|object incorporation]]. | |||
=== Subclauses === | |||
Underfilling is typically not possible in a [[subclause]]: | |||
{{Example| *Laheq, ꝡä moı jí, ꝡä jıq jí.|(Attempted:) That I think, entails that I exist.}} | |||
The verb {{t|moı}} is transitive. Given how [[self-termination]] works / because subclauses are "greedy", {{t|ꝡä jıq jí}} ends up being the object of {{t|moı}}, not of {{t|laheq}}. Thus, this sentence actually means "That I think about that I exist, entails (it/something)." | |||
We can use the prefix {{t|hạo}}, which turns verbs intransitive by applying whatever theory of underfilling we subscribe to: | |||
{{Example|Laheq, ꝡä hạomoı jí, ꝡä jıq jí.|That I think, entails that I exist.}} | |||
== In other (quasi-)logical languages == | |||
In Lojban, underfilling is extremely common and undisputably part of the language. Even the most elementary root words ("'''''gismu'''''") contain 4-5 object places, so you almost ''have'' to underfill in most cases, unless you don't want your sentences full of ''zo'e'' (explicit object place skipper). | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|+ | |||
|botpi | |||
|x1 is a bottle for x2 of material x3 with cap x4 | |||
|- | |||
|santa | |||
|x1 is an umbrella shielding x2 from x3, made of x4 supported by x5 | |||
|- | |||
|ckule | |||
|x1 is a school at x2, teaching x3 to x4, operated by x5 | |||
|- | |||
|jbena | |||
|x1 is born to parents x2 at time x3 and place x4 | |||
|- | |||
|klama | |||
|x1 goes to x2 from x3 via x4 transported by x5 | |||
|- | |||
|plipe | |||
|x1 jumps to x2 from x3 reaching height x4 propelled by x5 | |||
|} | |||
There are particles ''(fa fe fi fo fu'', all in word class '''FA''') that skip to a specific slot. | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|+ | |||
|fa | |||
|fe | |||
|fi | |||
|fo | |||
|fu | |||
|- | |||
|1 | |||
|2 | |||
|3 | |||
|4 | |||
|5 | |||
|} | |||
Example: Let's assume there is a predicate ''klama'' that has 5 object places and you want to fill the 4th slot with ''Ѭ.'' Without the FA class particles you would have to say "''klama zo'e zo'e zo'e Ѭ''" which is just silly. You can use these particles to say "''klama fo Ѭ''" instead. | |||
In (New) Ithkuil, there is a case system that functions like object slots. The reference grammar just refers to them as case, even though you can say they are very close to being a weird kind of object slot. Underfilling is also always necessary to even speak the language, due to every verb technically being able to take 68 arguments (cases). | |||