Appendix:Lojban/cu

Lojban

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃu/

Particle

cu

1. Indicates that the next word or phrase functions as a selbri (“predicate”).

   xu la .okrand. cu finti lo bacrynandu

   Did Okrand invent a tongue twister?

   (literally, “QUESTION PROPER-NOUN "OKRAND" invented SELBRI-TO-SUMTI Tongue-Twister”)

Usage notes

• cu can be necessary because any two gismu (“root words”) or lujvo (“compound words”) (as well as the cmavo (“structure words”) mo), when placed directly in sequence, form a tanru (“meaning/phrase compound”), a phrase with a single meaning.

  Thus, cu may be necessary to divide the selbri (“predicate”) from certain preceding words. When the word immediately preceding the selbri cannot be part of a tanru, such as a pro-sumti or a cmevla (“meaning of word is based on morphology/shape”), cu can be omitted.

  For instance, the statement, ".i lo prenu cu melbi" requires the use of cu, but ".i do melbi", ".i la .meilis. melbi", and ".i melbi" do not.

  cu can likewise be omitted when there is no word preceding the selbri; i.e., the selbri is the first word of the utterance.

  However, the inclusion of cu before a selbri (“predicate”) is never incorrect, even when unnecessary.

• The use of cu allows for elision of many types of grammatical terminators, specifically those that terminate elements that cannot contain a selbri (“predicate”).

  For instance, using cu makes it unnecessary to use ku, which marks the end of a sumti (“argument”), because a sumti must always end where the selbri begins.