On 4/21/06, John Quijada <jq_ithkuil@...> wrote:
> languages, as illustrated in an ambiguous sentence like "She is healthier."
> Consider how many meanings this can have:
I think gzb can handle most of these, by
making the reference base for the comparisons explicit.
A comparative with no explicit reference in gzb is
equivalent to a superlative in other languages.
> She is healthier [than she was previously, but she is still ill.]
fiqm-cox-sra-cox-van pq txe pq-mje
health-OPP-COMP-OPP-V.STATE 3 than 3-past
She is less sick than her past self.
> She is healthier [then anyone else here]
fiqm-sra-van pq txe max ble.
health-COMP-V.STATE 3 than person remainder
> She is healthier [and so is now healthy whereas previously she was not]
fiqm-sra-van pq txe pq-mje
health-COMP-V.STATE 3 than 3-past
She is healthier than her past self.
> She is healthier [she was healthy before and is now even more so]
fiqm-sra-van mew pq txe pq-mje
health-COMP-V.STATE even 3 than 3-past
She is even healthier than her past self.
> Another example:
>
> He sings better. ( = than he did before because he recovered from a cold,
> even though he still doesn't sing very well.)
sxrun-gju-zox prym-cox-fwa-sra-cox pq txe pq-mje
music-speak-V.ACT sense.of.beauty-OPP-CAUS-COMP-OPP 3 than 3-past
He sings less badly than his past self.
> He sings better. ( = than his friend does, even though neither one sings
> very well)
sxrun-gju-zox prym-cox-fwa-sra-cox pq txe pq liqw-i kuln.
music-speak-V.ACT sense.of.beauty-OPP-CAUS-COMP-OPP 3 than 3
relation-at friend
He sings less badly than his friend.
>
> He sings better. ( = than he did before because he's taken voice lessons and
> now sings well, whereas before he sang terribly)
sxrun-gju-zox prym-fwa-sra pq txe pq txe pq-mje.
music-speak-V.ACT sense.of.beauty-CAUS-COMP 3 than 3-past
He sings better than his past self.
> There is also a semantic division between absolute value of a quality (i.e.,
> the statement is true regardless of one's knowledge or contextal point of
> view) versus relative value of a quality (i.e., the truthfulness of the
> statement depends on the context or point of view:
>
>
> SENTENCES WITHIN CONTEXT OF ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS
gzb would distinguish these in terms like "A produces more
light than B" and "B gives us more light than A".
> Light B is (at its) brightest. ( = at its maximum degree of brightness,
> even though it's less bright than A)
>
> Light B is (at its) brightest. ( = that it can be, even though it's less
> bright than B, but brighter than A).
I'll have to think about this. Maybe
cqyw koq de txe pq-mym miq-i fu-sra-van.
star this nowadays than it-self TOP-at light-more-V.STATE
This star is now brighter than itself (past and future),
> As a result of all this, Ilaksh has 18 different comparative schemas (nine
> relative and nine absolute), which I call Levels. These Levels describe the
> comparative state of noun/adjective/verb A which in turn operate in
> conjunction with 24 new noun cases to specify the exact status of the
> "other" referent B (as in a sentence A is X'er than B, or A X's more than B,
> or A is more X than B).
It seems as though sometimes you wouldn't always need that much
precision. Context would distinguish between the more
similar comparative schemata on many occasions.
--
Jim Henry
http://www.pobox.com/~jimhenry/gzb/gzb.htm