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Toaq has a quantifier, {{t|baq}}, which is used to talk about '''kinds''' of things, rather than some or all instances of them.
Toaq has a determiner, {{t|báq}}, which is used to talk about '''kinds''' of things, rather than some or all instances of them.


For example, {{t|baq tủzy}} means "soup" (or "soup-kind", or "soup in general") rather than {{t|sa tủzy}} "some soup" or {{t|tu tủzy}} "all soup".
For example, {{t|báq tuze}} means "soup" (or "soup-kind", or "soup in general") rather than {{t|sá tuze}} "some soup" or {{t|tú tuze}} "all soup".


== Why have kinds? ==
== Why have kinds? ==
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* "Dinosaurs are extinct" can not be expressed as <math>\left[\forall D\colon \text{Dinosaur}(D)\right] \text{Extinct}(D)</math>. Individual dinosaurs are not extinct, only dead. Dinosaurs, as a kind, are extinct.
* "Dinosaurs are extinct" can not be expressed as <math>\left[\forall D\colon \text{Dinosaur}(D)\right] \text{Extinct}(D)</math>. Individual dinosaurs are not extinct, only dead. Dinosaurs, as a kind, are extinct.
* "Cats are widespread" can not be expressed as <math>\left[\exists C\colon \text{Cat}(C)\right] \text{Widespread}(C)</math>. Individual cats cannot be widespread. Not even "many cats are widespread".
* "Cats are widespread" can not be expressed as <math>\left[\exists C\colon \text{Cat}(C)\right] \text{Widespread}(C)</math>. Individual cats cannot be widespread. Not even "many cats are widespread".
* Even "I'll make some soup" can not be expressed as <math>\left[\exists S\colon \text{Soup}(S)\right] \text{WillMake}(\text{I}, S)</math>. You aren't saying of some certain instance ''S'' of soup that you'll make it. Instead, the Toaq way of looking at this meaning of "make" is that we are "manifesting a kind"<ref name=manifesting-a-kind />. So we say {{t|bảı baq tủzy}}, and only the result of our efforts (if we succeed) is {{t|sa tủzy}}.
* Even "I'll make some soup" can not be expressed as <math>\left[\exists S\colon \text{Soup}(S)\right] \text{WillMake}(\text{I}, S)</math>. You aren't saying of some certain instance ''S'' of soup that you'll make it. Instead, the Toaq way of looking at this meaning of "make" is that we are "manifesting a kind"<ref name=manifesting-a-kind />. So we say {{t|baı báq tuze}}, and only the result of our efforts (if we succeed) is {{t|sá tuze}}.


So, a language appears to need a way to make claims about kinds without quantifying over their individuals. One solution is to define predicates like "{{x}} makes something satisfying property {{x}}" and "The kind satisfying property {{x}} is extinct", and then fill them with {{t|tûzy ja}}. (This is the approach taken by pre-kind Toaq {{t|lıbaı}}, or Lojban <code>jaukpa</code>.) But then we are really just tucking away the grammatical concept of kinds in those English definitions. Moreover, it is unnaturally indirect for "X makes Y" to be a <code>c 1</code> word when it very much feels like we are talking about ''things'' and not properties.
So, a language appears to need a way to make claims about kinds without quantifying over their individuals. One solution is to define predicates like "{{x}} makes something satisfying property {{x}}" and "The kind satisfying property {{x}} is extinct", and then fill them with {{t|lä tuze ja}}. (This is the approach taken by pre-kind Toaq {{t|lıbaı}}, or Lojban <code>jaukpa</code>.) But then we are really just tucking away the grammatical concept of kinds in those English definitions. Moreover, it is unnaturally indirect for "X makes Y" to be a <code>c 1</code> word when it very much feels like we are talking about ''things'' and not properties.


== Semantics ==
== Semantics ==
When we fill an argument place with a {{t|baq}}-term, the logical meaning of the resulting claim depends on the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predicate_(grammar)#Carlson_classes '''Carlson class'''] of the predicate with regards to that argument place.
When we fill an argument place with a {{t|báq}}-term, the logical meaning of the resulting claim depends on the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predicate_(grammar)#Carlson_classes '''Carlson class'''] of the predicate with regards to that argument place.


# '''Kind-level''' predicates, such as "{{x}} are extinct" and "{{x}} are widespread", just make a direct claim ''about'' the kind, rather than any individuals of it. They are usually nonsensical when filled with {{t|sa}} or {{t|tu}} terms.
# '''Kind-level''' predicates, such as "{{x}} are extinct" and "{{x}} are widespread", just make a direct claim ''about'' the kind, rather than any individuals of it. They are usually nonsensical when filled with {{t|}} or {{t|}} terms.
# '''Individual-level''' predicates are true of their argument "no matter when": descriptions not tied to a timeline, like "{{x}} is/are intelligent". A {{t|baq}} argument to such a predicate is interpreted as a general (but maybe not {{t|tu}}-universal?) claim over the individuals of the kind: "cats are intelligent", i.e. (pretty much?) any cat is intelligent.
# '''Individual-level''' predicates are true of their argument "no matter when": descriptions not tied to a timeline, like "{{x}} is/are intelligent". A {{t|báq}} argument to such a predicate is interpreted as a general (but maybe not {{t|}}-universal?) claim over the individuals of the kind: "cats are intelligent", i.e. (pretty much?) any cat is intelligent.
# '''Stage-level''' predicates are true only of their argument in their current temporal stage. A {{t|baq}} argument to such a predicate is reduced to its {{t|sa}} equivalent: "cats are playing" means "some cats are playing".
# '''Stage-level''' predicates are true only of their argument in their current temporal stage. A {{t|báq}} argument to such a predicate is reduced to its {{t|}} equivalent: "cats are playing" means "some cats are playing".


(These classes originated in linguistics to describe the apparent variety in meanings an indefinite noun phrase like "cats" can take on in different sentences. So in a sense, an easy way to think about {{t|baq kảto}} is to treat it the way you'd treat an indefinite noun phrase like "cats" in English.)
(These classes originated in linguistics to describe the apparent variety in meanings an indefinite noun phrase like "cats" can take on in different sentences. So in a sense, an easy way to think about {{t|báq kảto}} is to treat it the way you'd treat an indefinite noun phrase like "cats" in English.)
 
== Binding ==
 
Hoemai said in 2019 that {{t|baq pỏq}} does not introduce a scope<ref name=no-scope />, and does not bind a variable {{t|pỏq}}. Instead it behaves like a constant like {{t|jí}} or {{t|súq}}. It has also been proposed that {{t|baq pỏq}} could bind {{t|pỏq}} after all, so that a sentence like {{t|Chỏ baq shỉ pỏq shí pỏq}} could mean "People like themselves". The other possible sentence, "people like people", could still be rendered as {{t|Chỏ baq shỉ pỏq baq shỉ pỏq}}.


== The typical… ==
== The typical… ==
{{t|baq}} does not mean "the typical X" (and never has).<ref name="not-typical" /> Typicality is orthogonal to {{t|baq}}:<ref name="orthogonal" /> you can call individual three-leaf clovers "typical", or say that {{t|baq}} clover rarely has four leaves.
{{t|báq}} does not mean "the typical X" (and never has).<ref name="not-typical" /> Typicality is orthogonal to {{t|báq}}:<ref name="orthogonal" /> you can call individual three-leaf clovers "typical", or say that {{t|báq}} clover rarely has four leaves.


== External links ==
== External links ==
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   You can use the first to say the second one, but only indirectly: "This table is the result of me manifesting table kind"
   You can use the first to say the second one, but only indirectly: "This table is the result of me manifesting table kind"
</poem>}}
</poem>}}
</ref>
<ref name="no-scope">
https://discord.com/channels/311223912044167168/311223912044167168/652268988931506236
{{Transcript|
<blockquote>[[Hoaqgıo]]: I guess [{{t|baq}}] doesn't create scope</blockquote>
[[Hoemaı]]: No, it's a reference to a kind.
}}
</ref>
</ref>