Re: Imperatives, not only negative (was: Noli-me-tangere)

From Http://Members.Aol.Com/Lassailly/Tunuframe.Html scripsit:
>=20
> Dans un courrier dat=E9 du 01/05/99 09:10:46  , vous avez =E9crit :
>=20
> << And I seem to recall that Schleyer equipped Volapuek with three-fold
>  normal, polite & peremptory imperatives.  This is fine in an artlang b=
ut
>  IMHO rather overdoing it in a conlang designed as Schleyer's was as an=
 IAL.
> =20
>  Ray. >>
>=20
> I deeply disagree with you. 12-fold imperatives are necessary to deal w=
ith a=20
> Zambian addressing his senior Japanese daughter-in-law in front of an E=
skimo=20
> vice-minister. Only that kind of IAL is viable.
Well, Lojban (which is technically neither artlang nor IAL) has a
seven-fold distinction of rank (maximally superior, very superior,
superior, equal, inferior, very inferior, maximally inferior).  Futhermor=
e,
the rank distinction is not between speaker and listener necessarily,
but between speaker and *referent* (anything referred to in the
sentence can be marked for relative rank).

--=20
John Cowan                                      cowan@ccil.org
                e'osai ko sarji la lojban.