BPFK Section: Inexact Numbers
- This page is imported from version 29 of the page BPFK Section: Inexact Numbers from the lojban Tiki.
Proposed definitions
su'o (PA4)
Proposed Definition
At least (one). Some.
See Also
- {su'e}
- {za'u}
Proposed Keywords
- at least
Usage Examples
- so'e lo ponjo jugle'u cu lerfu fi su'o re lo se bacru
- Most Japanese kanji have at least two pronunciations.
su'e (PA4)
Proposed Definition
At most (one).
See Also
- {su'o}
- {me'i}
Proposed Keywords
- at most
Usage Examples
- la cibyska cu se kelci su'e bi remna
- Tricolor is played by at most eight people.
za'u (PA3)
Proposed Definition
More than (one).
See Also
- {me'i}
- {su'o}
- {dubmau}
Proposed Keywords
- more than
Usage Examples
- lo mi dalpe'o cu za'u mei
- My pets are more than one.
- za'u ci da cinri mi
- There are more than three things that interest me.
- ko za'u re'u troci
- Try again!
me'i (PA3)
Proposed Definition
Less than (all). Not all.
See Also
- {za'u}
- {su'e}
- {dubme'a}
Proposed Keywords
less than
Usage Examples
- me'i gerku cu klama lo cevzda
- Not all dogs go to heaven.
ji'i (PA4)
Proposed Definition
Approximately.
See Also
Proposed Keywords
- approximately
Usage Examples
- ji'i xa pi xa gigdo be lo remna cu xabju la terdi
- Approximately 6.6 billion humans inhabit the Earth.
ro (PA4)
Proposed Definition
Each. All. Every.
See Also
- {no}
Proposed Keywords
- all
- each
- every
Usage Examples
- lo srasu ro roi ri'ozma ze'o lo bitmu
- The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
da'a (PA4)
Proposed Definition
All except (one).
See Also
- {ro}
Proposed Keywords
- all except
Usage Examples
- da'a drata cu ci pa mei
- All but one of the others are thirty-one-somes.
so'a (PA4)
Proposed Definition
Almost all. All but a few.
See Also
- {so'u}
Proposed Keywords
- almost all
Usage Examples
- do so'a roi lerci
- You're almost always late.
so'e (PA4)
Proposed Definition
Most. All but a significant number.
See Also
Proposed Keywords
- most
Usage Examples
- ta so'e mei
- That's most of them.
so'i (PA4)
Proposed Definition
Many. A large number.
See Also
Proposed Keywords
- many
Usage Examples
- mi ba'o cilre so'i da lo xirma lo vi cukta
- I have learned a lot about horses from this book.
so'o (PA4)
Proposed Definition
Several. A significant number.
See Also
Proposed Keywords
- several
Usage Examples
- so'o lo pendo be mi cu simlu lo ka jinvi lo du'u xamgu sidbo
- Several of my friends seem to think it's a good idea.
so'u (PA4)
Proposed Definition
A few. A small number.
See Also
- {so'a}
Proposed Keywords
- a few
Usage Examples
- mi stali lo darno ze'a lo masti be li so'u
- I stayed away for a few months.
no'o (PA5)
Proposed Definition
A usual number. The expected number.
See Also
- {xo'e}
- {zu'i}
Proposed Keywords
- usual number
Usage Examples
- ba za lo mentu be li no'o mi co'a sipna
- After the usual number of minutes, I fall asleep.
rau (PA4)
Proposed Definition
Enough. The right number.
See Also
- {mo'a}
- {du'e}
Proposed Keywords
- enough
Usage Examples
- xu do pu snada lo nu cpacu lo rau kelci
- Did you manage to get enough players?
du'e (PA4)
Proposed Definition
Too many. More than the right number.
See Also
- {mo'a}
- {rau}
Proposed Keywords
- too many
Usage Examples
- du'e cuntu ka'e fliba
- Too many things could go wrong.
mo'a (PA4)
Proposed Definition
Too few. Less than the right number.
See Also
- {du'e}
- {rau}
Proposed Keywords
- too few
Usage Examples
- mi'a mo'a roi casnu lo ckape
- We discussed the dangers too few times.
Formal definitions
su'o PA | vei na'u zmadu ja dunli PA |
su'e PA | vei na'u mleca ja dunli PA |
za'u PA | vei na'u zmadu PA |
me'i PA | vei na'u mleca PA |
ji'i PA | vei na'u jibni PA |
da'a PA | vei na'u se sumji be lo mulno PA |
ro | vei ni'e mulno |
so'a | vei ni'e muljbi |
so'e | vei ni'e xabmau |
so'i | vei ni'e mutce |
so'o | vei ni'e milxe |
so'u | vei ni'e toltce |
rau | vei ni'e drani |
du'e | vei ni'e dukse |
mo'a | vei ni'e toldu'e |
no'o | vei ni'e co'e |
Notes
{dubdu'i}, {dubmau}, {dubme'a}, {dubnalmau} and {dubnalme'a} are probably more suitable predicates for dealing with number comparisons.
Quantifiers
definite | :: no pa re ci vo mu xa ze bi ... da'aci da'are da'apa ro:: |
scalar | ::no [ so'u ] [ so'o ] [ so'i ] [ so'e ] [ so'a ] ro:: |
generic | ::no [ no'o ] ro:: |
subjective | :: [ mo'a ] [ rau ] [ du'e ]:: |
ranges | |
su'o PA | ::.......................... [PA ............................]:: |
za'u PA | ::.......................... PA [............................]:: |
su'e PA | ::[......................... PA] .............................:: |
me'i PA | ::[.........................] PA .............................:: |
ji'i PA | ::................... [...... PA ......] ........................:: |
da'a | |
da'a da'a PA | PA |
da'a ro | no |
da'a so'a | so'u |
da'a so'e | so'o |
da'a so'i | so'i |
da'a so'o | so'e |
da'a so'u | so'a |
da'a no | ro |
da'a rau | rau |
da'a du'e | mo'a |
da'a mo'a | du'e |
da'a no'o | no'o |
da'a su'o PA | su'e da'a PA |
da'a su'e PA | su'o da'a PA |
da'a za'u PA | me'i da'a PA |
da'a me'i PA | za'u da'a PA |
da'a ji'i PA | ji'i da'a PA |
Definitions in terms of su'o: | |
su'o N+1 da zo'u da broda | su'o da su'o N de zo'u ge da na du de gi da .e de broda |
za'u N da | su'o N+1 da |
su'e N da | naku su'o N+1 da |
me'i N da | naku su'o N da |
N da | su'o N da .enai su'o N+1 da |
da'a PA da | PA da naku |
In particular: | |||||
no da | me'ipa da = naku su'o da | ||||
ro da | da'ano da = no da naku = naku su'o da naku |
With restricted da (i.e. da poi broda): | |
su'o da poi broda cu brode | su'o da zo'u da broda gi'e brode |
su'o N da poi broda cu brode | su'o N da zo'u da broda gi'e brode |
za'u N da poi broda cu brode | za'u N da zo'u da broda gi'e brode |
su'e N da poi broda cu brode | su'e N da zo'u da broda gi'e brode |
me'i N da poi broda cu brode | me'i N da zo'u da broda gi'e brode |
N da poi broda cu brode | N da zo'u da broda gi'e brode |
da'a Q da poi broda cu brode | da'a Q da zo'u da broda nagi'a brode |
Internal grammar of quantifiers
quantifier | proportional / fractional |
fractional | [prefix] pi (indefinite / definite / prefix) |
proportional | simple & simple [fi'u (ro & definite) / ce'i] |
simple | prefix & (indefinite / definite) |
prefix | da'a & (su'o / su'e / me'i / za'u / ji'i) & da'a |
indefinite | so'u / so'o / so'i / so'e / so'a / ro / mo'a / rau / du'e / no'o |
definite | (no / pa / re / ci / vo / mu / xa / ze / bi / so / ki'o) ... |
[ ] indicates the enclosed element is optional ... indicates the preceding element may appear one or more times / indicates either the preceding or the following element may appear & indicates the preceding, the following or both elements may appear
Defaults for bare prefix
When a prefix is not followed by a definite or indefinite, a default value is understood: the default is pa for su'o, su'e, za'u and da'a; ro for me'i; and a vague number (perhaps no'o) for ji'i.
Two adjacent simple quantifiers
- Two adjacent simple quantifiers are interpreted, when possible, as if joined with .e:
ro ci broda all three brodas, all brodas and three brodas.
rau su'o mu broda enough at least five brodas, enough brodas and at least five brodas.
su'o ci su'e bi broda at least three at most eight brodas at least three brodas and at most eight brodas between three and eight brodas (inclusive)
- Two adjacent simple quantifiers are interpreted, when joining them with .e would give a contradiction, as if joined with .a:
me'i ci za'u ci broda less than three more than three brodas less than three brodas or more than three brodas i.e. other than three brodas
mo'a du'e broda too few too many brodas too few brodas or too many brodas the wrong number of brodas
Proportional quantifiers
re fi'u ci broda Two out of every three brodas. Two thirds of brodas.
za'u vo fi'u mu broda More than four out of every five brodas. More than four fifths of brodas.
du'a fi'u ro muno broda Too many out of all 50 broda. Too many broda, of which there are 50 in all.
- ce'i is equivalent to fi'u panono:
za'u munoce'i broda More than half of all brodas.
da'a cirepimu ce'i broda All but 32.5% of brodas.
Fractional quantifiers
piPA sumti | lo piPA si'e be sumti |
When a sumti has a single referent (which may be a simple individual, a group, a set, etc.) then a fractional quantifier refers to a corresponding fraction of the referent. In particular, a fraction of a group or a set is a subgroup or subset whose cardinality is the corresponding fraction of the cardinality of the whole.
When a sumti has more than one referent (e.g. le ci plise) then a fractional quantifier refers to a fraction of one (which one is not specified) of the referents. Then pimu le ci plise is "half of one of the three apples. Then more generally we can define:
piPA sumti | lo piPA si'e be pa me sumti |
which will also cover the case of a single referent.
We may then generalize to things like repimu le ci plise for "two and a half of the three apples".