5. Expressing scales in selbri negation


5.1)   le stizu cu na'e xunre
       The chair is a non-(red-thing).
the pragmatic interpretation is that we mean a different color and not
5.2)   le stizu cu dzukla be le zarci
       The chair walkingly-goes-to-the-market.


5.3)   le stizu cu na'e xunre skari

We might also have reduced the pragmatic ambiguity by making the two trailing sumti values explicit (the “as perceived by” and “under conditions” places have been added to the place structure of “xunre”). But assume we have a really stubborn listener (an artificially semi-intelligent computer?) who will find a way to misinterpret Example 5.3 even with three specific sumti provided.

In this case, we use a sumti tagged with the sumti tcita “ci'u”, which translates roughly as “on a scale of X”, where “X” is the sumti. For maximal clarity, the tagged sumti can be bound into the negated selbri with “be”. To clarify Example 5.3, we might say:

5.4)   le stizu cu na'e xunre be ci'u loka skari

We can alternately use the sumti tcita “teci'e”, based on “ciste”, which translates roughly as “of a system of components X”, for universes of discourse; in this case, we would express Example 5.3 as:

5.5)   le stizu cu na'e xunre be teci'e le skari

Other places of “ciste” can be brought out using the grammar of selma'o BAI modals, allowing slightly different forms of expression, thus:

5.6)   le stizu cu na'e xunre be ci'e lo'i skari
The cmavo “le'a”, also in selma'o BAI, can be used to specify a category:
5.7)   le stizu cu na'e xunre be le'a lo'i skari
which is minimally different in meaning from Example 5.6.

The cmavo “na'e” is not the only member of selma'o NAhE. If we want to express a scalar negation which is a polar opposite, we use the cmavo “to'e”, which is grammatically equivalent to “na'e”:

5.8)   le stizu cu to'e xunre be ci'u loka skari
Likewise, the midpoint of a scale can be expressed with the cmavo “no'e”, also grammatically equivalent to “na'e”. Here are some parallel examples of “na'e”, “no'e”, and “to'e”:
5.9)   ta melbi
       That is-beautiful.

5.10)  ta na'e melbi
       That is-non-beautiful.
       That is other than beautiful.
       That is ugly [in one sense].

5.11)  ta no'e melbi
       That is-neutrally beautiful.

5.12)  ta to'e melbi
       That is-opposite-of beautiful.
       That is ugly/very ugly/repulsive.

The cmavo “to'e” has the assigned rafsi “-tol-” and “-to'e-”; the cmavo “no'e” has the assigned rafsi “-nor-” and “-no'e-”. The selbri in Example 5.10 through Example 5.12 could be replaced by the lujvo “nalmle”, “normle”, and “tolmle” respectively.


Correspondingly, some selbri have no obvious “to'e” — what is the opposite of a dog? — while others have more than one, and need “ci'u” to specify which opposite is meant.