Re: tense conversions

[jorge@PHYAST.PITT.EDU]

Most of lojbab's points I agree with, but not this one:

> Likewise the inchoative is defined in terms
> of anticipation of an event, but the presumption and claim is that the event
> DOES take place.  Thus "pu'o morsi" refers to the time immediately prior
> to death and in anticipation of that death.  If the guy merely intends to
> commit suicide, but does not go through with it, then his  actions were NOT
> "pu'o morsi".

I disagree that with {pu'o} there is any claim that the event does take
place. I can say:

        le bolci pu'o farlu le loldi le jubme
        The ball is about to fall to the floor from the table.

        i mi kavbu le bolci le xance ja'e le nu by na farlu
        I catch the ball with my hand so that it doesn't fall.

The ball does not fall, and the first sentence is true. So {pu'o}
does not require the event to eventually take place. In many cases, it
will eventually take place, but that is not part of the claim.

But I agree that intention doesn't have much to do with it either. Neither
the ball had intentions of falling, nor the floor of being fallen to, nor
the table of being fallen from. Indeed, unless there is a person subject,
it doesn't really make much sense to talk about intentions.

Jorge