Lojbanって何だろう?.i la lojban. mo : 1. Lojban Q&A

前 | 目次 | 次
preti ce'o danfu sera'a la lojban.

1. Lojbanって何ですか?
2. 何のためにLojbanが作られたのですか?
3. ほかに何かLojbanを使ってうれしいことはありますか?
4. Lojbanはコンピューター言語?
5. Lojbanはどんな文字を使いますか? どんな響きですか?
6. Lojbanの文法はどういったものですか?
7. ほかに、Lojbanの文法の特徴は?
8. Lojbanは複雑そうです。覚えるのはどれくらい難しいですか?
9. '一義的'とはつまりどういうことですか'?
10. 一義的な言語で冗談とか言えますか?
11. エスペラントが'国際言語'じゃないんですか?
12. 英語を国際言語にすればいいのでは?
13. '論理的'言語とか'一義的'言語で詩はかけますか?
14. Lojbanはどんな風に作られたのですか?
15. Lojban人口はどれくらい?
16. Lojbanを学ぶ利点は?
17. Lojbanの学習法は?
18. The Logical Language Groupって何ですか?
19. The Logical Language Groupのコミュニティにたいする貢献はどんなものがありますか?
20. 何かできることはありますか?
21. 連絡先は?
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 1.Lojbanって何ですか?

lojban(/LOZH-bahn/)は人工言語です。もともと、考案者のジェイムズ・クック・ブラウンからは'Loglan'と呼ばれていました。ブラウンは1955年からプロジェクトを開始し、1960年6月のサイエンティフィック・アメリカン誌のLoglanという記事にこの言語の果たそうとするところを公にしました。この記事によってこのプロジェクトはよく知られるようになり、SFやコンピューター関係の著作にも時々取り上げられています。以来、40年以上にわたって、数十人の開発者と数百人の協賛者たちによって、Loglan/Lojbanが作られてきました。1987年からはThe Logical Language Groupが先導役を務めています。
他にもたくさんの人工言語がありますが、Loglan/Lojbanは色々な点で工夫されていて、ユニークな言語です。主な特徴には次のようなものがあります。

• Lojbanは人びとのコミュニケーションに使われることを想定して作られており、将来的にはコンピューターとのコミュニケーションに使うことも視野に入っています。
• Lojbanは文化的に中立なようにデザインされています。
• Lojbanの文法は論理学の法則に基づいています。
• Lojbanの文法は一義的です。
• Lojbanは表音式の綴り方を採用しており、話された音声を単語に分割する際にも、あいまいさは全くありません。
• Lojbanは自然言語と比べてシンプルであり、習い覚えるのは簡単です。
• Lojbanはごく規則的で、例外といったものがありません。
• Lojbanは、創造的で透徹した思考及びコミュニケーションをはばむ壁が取り払われるように作られています。
• Lojbanが使える分野は多岐にわたり、創作から研究、理論から実践まで考えられます。

以下、よく寄せられる質問に答えながら、これらの特徴を詳細にみていきます。
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 2.何のためにlojbanが作られたのですか?

もともとLojbanは、サピア-ウォーフ仮説と呼ばれる概念の研究に使う道具としてデザインされました。短く言うとこの仮説は、人の思考は使う言語の構造に制約される、というものです。Lojbanは自然言語の豊かな表現力を持ち合わせつつ、他の言語とは構造が大きく違っています。このため、言語と思考、文化の関係を研究するための試験台として使うことができます。なお、第II部にさらに詳しい議論があります。
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 3.ほかに何かlojbanを使ってうれしいことはありますか?

ええ、幾つかあります。一義的な文法であり、シンプルな構造をしているので、計算機で簡単にパースする（分析のために分解する）ことができます。そのため、将来計算機と人間の間のインタラクションに、もしかしたら会話に、Lojbanを使うことが考えられます。また、Lojbanの構造は既存の人工知能（AI）向けのプログラミング言語に似ているので、人工知能研究分野、特に現実世界に関するデータや人びとの持つイメージを蓄積処理することにおいて強力な助っ人となりえます。コンピューターを補助的に使った自然言語の翻訳において、中間言語として使えるのではないかと考えている言語学者たちもいますし、他の言語を学ぶための踏み台としての可能性もあります。それから、文化的に中立であるようにデザインされており、語彙が強力で、様々な言語圏からの人たちも簡単に覚えられるので、国際言語としての可能性に興味を持つ人たちもいます。これらは、将来日の目をみるであろう数多のLojbanの応用の手始めにすぎません。
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 4.Lojbanはコンピューター言語なの?

Lojbanはコンピューター言語ではなく、人間のための言語として設計されました。なので、会話・読み・書き・思考において使われることが想定されています。ですが、自然言語より簡単に計算機で処理することができるので、近いうちにLojbanをもとにしたコンピューターアプリケーションが登場するでしょう。Lojbanを学び、使うために計算機の知識は要りませんし、計算機みたいに話す必要もありません。
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 5.Lojbanはどんな文字を使いますか? どんな響きですか?

Lojbanには母音が6つ、子音が17あり、ローマ字を使って書き表します。タイプライターやコンピューターのキーボードについているような、標準的な文字しか使いません。大文字を使うことはほとんどなく、人名のアクセントを明示するときだけです。句読点は単語として発音されます。Lojbanで書かれた文章は話されたものと一対一に対応します。つづり方は表音的で曖昧さは全くなく、ひとつづきの音声を単語に分解するやり方はただ一通りになります。このため、計算機による音声認識や音声入力が自然言語を使う場合よりも現実的になってきます。Lojbanの発音の仕方とつづり方を覚えるのはごく簡単なものです。
Lojbanはなめらかな響きをもち、リズミカルです。どこかイタリア語にも似ていますが、子音の音はロシア語のようなスラヴ系の言語にみられる豊かな力強さをもっていますし、母音のペアの数々は中国語やポリネシア語などの東洋の言語を思わせます。けれどそうした言語にみられるような複雑な抑揚はLojbanにはありません。
長々とした語句を簡潔に言い表す慣用句といったものがLojbanにはないので、英語の口語の文章より長くなることもあります。しかし、かわりに言語学的に曖昧さのない構造であることは簡潔さを犠牲にして余りあるものです。それに、Lojban特有の構文を用いると、英語より簡明になることもあります（論法ごとの公式や態度の表現など）。さらに言えば、 曖昧さをなくすためにLojbanに備わっている仕組みは使うことも使わないこともできますから、必要になったときだけでいいのです。
Lojbanの例文を出してみましょう。オッカムのカミソリ（「一番簡潔な説明方法がたいてい一番である」）はこんな訳になります:

roda poi velcki cu so'eroi ke ganai saprai gi xagrai
/row-dah poy VELSH-kee shoo so-heh-roy keh GAH-nye SAHP-rye ghee KHAH-grye/
全てのもの 説明であるところのもの ほとんどこうである （もし 最上級に簡潔である ならば 最上級に良い）

アポストロフィーは、短く息の音のする'h'のように発音され、連続する母音をポーズなしに発音でき、かつ聞き取りやすくするために使われます。
(この冊子の第2章に発音表があります。)
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 6.Lojbanの文法はどういったものですか?

「文法」という言葉は多くの人にとってあまりよくない思い出と結びついているでしょう。けれど、Lojbanの文法は、初めは一風変わって見えるかもしれませんが、結構シンプルです。Lojbanの文法は述語論理というシステムに基づいています。述語論理では、文というものは一つか一つ以上の引数(Lojbanではsumtiといいます)の間の関係(selbri)から出来ているとされます。引数はものでも出来事でも形質でも、何でもかまいません。例文を出しましょう。次の日本語の文では

クリスはパットにあこがれる。

二つの引数、クリスとパットの間に、大好きである、という関係があります。Lojbanに直すと

la kris. prami la pat.

か、お好みでこんな風にも言えます。

la kris. la pat. prami

(終止符のところでは、少しポーズして単語の分け目をわかりやすくします。 ― その他の所では英語のように単語の間に空白を入れないでぶっ続けで書いても、Lojbanでは通じます。)

「つまり、関係が動詞で引数が名詞だ、selbriとか特別に呼ばなくてもいいのでは?」とお考えかもしれません。けれど、Lojbanでは、クリスのパットに対する気持ちをこんな風に言い表すこともできます:

la pat. melbi
パットはきれいだ。

英語の場合、is、という動詞（「する単語」）と、beautiful、という形容詞（「記述する単語」）の両方が必要になります。日本語の場合、動詞で言い表す時にも助詞「は」が必要になります。トルコ語なら、名詞と形容詞を使って、Pat guzel、動詞はいりません。中国語なら状態動詞のmeiliが使えます ― が、ここらでやめましょう! ここでこういった言語それぞれの概念を扱う必要はありません。
さて、Lojbanに名詞も動詞も主語も目的語もないのなら、どうやってla kris. la pat. pramiの意味がクリスはパットにあこがれる、であって反対ではない、とわかるのでしょうか? この問題を解決するのに、色々な言語が違ったやり方をしています。英語では基本的に語順が決定打で、それでも不十分なら前置詞（at、from、to、withなどです)を使います。他の言語、例えばラテン語やトルコ語では、単語の形を変えることで対応しています。 例えば、トルコ語で Pat'i Chris sever と言えば、パットはクリスが好きだ、ではなく、クリスはパットが好きだ、という意味になります。
Lojbanでは、引数の順番が単語の意味と結びついています。例えば、dundaという単語は与えるという意味ですが、きちんとした定義はこうなります:

x₁はx₂をx₃に与える

ですから、mi pu dunda le cukta le ninmuの意味は、「私は本に女の人を与えた」ではなく、「私は女の人に本を与えた」になります。
ポイントは、Lojbanには「文法」と普通呼ぶものがたくさんあるのだけども、そのほとんどがcmavo（組み立てる単語）の中に含まれていて、そういう単語を多く使って表現してもよいし、少なくてもよいということです。
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 7.ほかに、Lojbanの文法の特徴は?

まず、何かが運動様式であることも、何かが存在様式であることも、同じく簡単な表現で述べることができます。両者の区別ははっきり付けなくてもよいし、色々な表現方法で明示することもできます:

• tanruという比喩表現(幾つかのselbriを一つの単語にまとめて新しい意味を与える表現法)が使って概念をくっつけるやり方。 gasnu('する')、zasti('在る'), zukte('目的を持って動く')といった言葉と組み合わせます。
• 様々な「演算子」(cmavo)を使うやり方。出来事や、状態、属性、量、思考、経験、事実などを抽象化する機能を持っています。
• 因果関係を表す特別な語も四つ用意されています(別の関係をあらわす言葉もtanru(比喩)によって作り出せます).

述語文法であることによる恩恵もあります。大きいのが、名詞・動詞・形容詞の形が変化しないことです。文中での単語の役割がクリアになるように、多くの自然言語で多少の語形変化が発達しています。言語は変化するものですから、例外的な語形変化が多くなり、その結果こうした言語は覚えるのが難しくなります。Lojbanではシンプルでかつ柔軟な述語関係によって不規則性も語形変化も不要になっています。

時制と語尾屈折?、副詞、前置詞などはすべて一つの品詞にまとめられた形になります。New preposition-like forms can be built at will from predicates; these allow the user to expand upon a sentence by attaching and relating arguments not normally included in the meaning of a word.

Numbers and quantifiers are conceptually expanded from natural languages. Many, enough, too much, a few, and at least are among concepts that are expressed as numbers in Lojban. Thus "it costs $3.95" and "it costs too much" are grammatically identical, and one can talk of being "enough-th in line" for tickets to a sellout movie. Core concepts of logic, mathematics, and science are built into the root vocabulary. They enhance discussion of those topics, and are surprisingly useful in ordinary speech, too.

Predicate logic can express a wide variety of human thought; Lojban also has non-logical constructs that do not affect or obscure the logical structure, allowing communications that are not amenable to logical analysis. For example, Lojban has a full set of emotional indicators, which are similar to such interjections in English as Oh!, Aha!, and Wheee!, but each has a specific meaning. Similarly, Lojban has indicators of the speaker's relationship to what is said (whether it is hearsay, direct observation, logical deduction, etc.) similar to those found in some Native American languages.

Lojban supports metalinguistic discussion about the sentences being spoken while remaining unambiguous. Lojban also supports a variety of 'tense' logic that allows one to be extremely specific about time and space (and space–time) relationships. A substantial portion of Lojban's grammar is designed to support unambiguous statement of mathematical expressions and relations in a manner compatible both with international usage and the rest of Lojban's grammar.

Lojban 'parts of speech' are convertible from one to another by using short structure words (called cmavo). One can make numbers serve as nouns or verbs, or invent new numbers and prepositions. Lojban removes many of the constraints on human thought, while preserving tight control on structural syntax.
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 8.Lojbanは複雑そうです。覚えるのはどれくらい難しいですか?

Lojbanは自然言語よりかなりシンプルです。文法が現在のプログラミング言語（例えばC++やPerlなど）より少し難しい程度です。ただ人間の色々な思考方法が複雑なためにLojbanが複雑に見えるのであって、Lojbanは思考の際の制限を最小化することを目指してデザインされています。Lojban text can appear longer and more complex due to its lack of idiom, its complete explicitness of logical structure, and most importantly, its unfamiliarity. On the other hand, conversational speech uses less than half of the possible grammatical structures, leaving the rest for writing and for other circumstances when one is likely to take time to carefully formulate exact logical phrasings.

Lojban's pronunciation, spelling, word formation, and grammar rules are fixed, and the language is free of exceptions to these rules. Such exceptions are the bane of learning to speak a natural language correctly. Without the burden of ambiguity, Lojban users can be precise and specific more easily than in other languages.

Because Lojban's grammar is simple, it is easier to learn than other languages. Using flashcard-like techniques, a working vocabulary including the complete set of 1350 root words can take 8–12 weeks of study at 1 hour per day. It is by no means uncommon for people who embark on learning Lojban to be able to write grammatical Lojban within a few days, and to hold at least a limited conversation within a few weeks. Natural languages, especially English, take several years to learn to a comparable level of skill.

The available Lojban teaching materials are so structured that you can learn the language without classroom instruction or a close community of speakers. Communication practice with others is needed to achieve fluency, but you can start using the language as you achieve proficiency.
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 9.'一義的'とはつまりどういうことですか'?

Lojban has an unambiguous grammar (proven by computer analysis of a formal grammar), pronunciation, and morphology (word forms). In practice this means that the person who reads or hears a Lojban sentence is never in doubt as to what words it contains or what roles they play in the sentence. This is true even if the words are unfamiliar, so long as the spelling and grammar rules are known. Lojban has no words that sound alike but have different meanings (like herd and heard), that have multiple unrelated meanings (set), or that differ only in punctuation but not in sound (like the abominable its and it's). There is never any doubt about where words begin and end (if you hear cargo ship, do you hear two words or three?) Most important, the function of each word is inescapably clear; there is nothing like the English sentence Time flies like an arrow, in which any of the first three words could be the verb.

Lojban is not entirely unambiguous, of course; human beings occasionally desire to be ambiguous in their expressions. In Lojban, this ambiguity is limited to semantics, tanru metaphor, and intentional omission of information (ellipsis).

Semantic ambiguity results because words in natural languages represent families of concepts rather than individual meanings. These meanings often have only weak semantic relationships to each other (the English word run is a good example.) In addition, each individual's personal experiences provide emotional connotations to words. By providing a fresh, culturally-neutral start, Lojban attempts to minimize the transference of these associations as people learn the language. Most Lojban words do not much resemble corresponding words in other languages; the differences aid in making this fresh start possible.

Lojban's powerful tanru (combinations of selbri into novel concepts) and word-building features make it easy to make fine distinctions between concepts. This discourages the tendency for individual words to acquire families of meanings. Lojban's tanru metaphors are themselves ambiguous; they specify a relationship between concepts, but not what the relationship is. That relationship can be made explicit using unambiguous logical constructs if necessary, or can be left vague, as the speaker typically desires. Similarly, portions of the logical structure of a Lojban expression can be omitted, greatly simplifying the expression while causing some ambiguity. Unlike in the natural languages, though, this ambiguity is readily identified by a reader or listener. Thus all ambiguity in Lojban is constrained and recognizable, and can be clarified as necessary by further interaction.

This precision in no way confines the meaning of a Lojban sentence. It is possible to be fanciful or ridiculous, to tell lies, or to be misunderstood. You can be very specific, or you can be intentionally vague. Your hearer may not understand what you meant, but will always understand what you said.
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 10.一義的な言語で冗談とか言えますか?

ユーモアの多くはシチュエーションとキャラクターによります。これは Lojban であっても他の言語の場合と同じように可笑しいものです。言葉遊びのユーモアはもちろん言語に依存します。Lojban には同義語がないので、単純なだじゃれはありません。けれど、似た音をもとにしただじゃれを考えることはできます。実際試みられたこともあります（例えば『不思議の国のアリアス』のLojban訳など）。また、Lojban はおそらくずっと第二言語であるでしょうから、バイリンガルなだじゃれや言葉遊びは多く考えられています。多くがもう一つの言語のあいまいさに基づいています。もちろん文法のあいまいさによるユーモアは Lojban では不可能ですが、ナンセンスな文や、他の言語では明確に言い表せないような論理構造などは、Lojban の方が簡単になります。

As speakers become fluent, and conventional phrases come into use, Lojban will develop its own forms of spoonerisms and subtle puns. Unique forms of Lojban word-play have already turned up; they exploit the way small variations in Lojban grammar create unexpected variations in meaning, and the capability to simply express rather mind-boggling relationships. Like all word-play, these lose zest when translated into other languages.

Related to humor is the aphorism: the pithy saying that gains pungency or poignancy from terse, elegant phrasing. Lojban seems as capable of aphorisms as any language, perhaps more than most; however, because the language is so young, few such aphorisms have been devised to date.
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 11.エスペラントが'国際言語'じゃないんですか?

There have been hundreds of artificial international languages developed, of which Esperanto is the most successful and widely known. Esperanto, like most other such languages, was based on European languages in both grammar and vocabulary. Although it manages to be relatively neutral between them, it still retains an inherent cultural bias which makes it unsuited for most of the purposes that Lojban was designed for.

Lojban is culturally fully neutral. Its vocabulary was built algorithmically using today's six most widely spoken languages: Chinese, Hindi, English, Russian, Spanish, and Arabic. Lojban's words thus show roots in three major families of languages spoken by most of the world's people. Lojban's grammar accommodates structures found in non-European languages, and uses sounds found in many of the world's languages. Coupled with the potential computer applications that will make Lojban a useful language to know, Lojban's potential as an international language may be more far-reaching than Esperanto's.

Lojban was not designed primarily to be an international language, however, but rather as a linguistic tool for studying and understanding language. Its linguistic and computer applications make Lojban unique among proposed international languages: Lojban can be successful without immediately being accepted and adopted everywhere, and Lojban can be useful and interesting even to those skeptical of or hostile towards the international language movement.

Since Lojban is also not in direct competition with Esperanto, it has proven attractive to Esperantists interested in acquiring a new perspective on their own international language, and who feel less threatened because Lojban has different goals. Lojban's supporters recognize that it will take decades for Lojban to acquire both the number and variety of speakers and the extensive history of usage that marks Esperanto culture. Meanwhile, each language community has much to learn from the other; this process is already well underway.
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 12.英語を国際言語にしたらいいのでは?

English is commonly used as an 'international language' in the fields of science and technology, and is probably the most widely spoken language in the world. American dominance of technology in the twentieth century has caused massive borrowing from English into other languages that do not have words for all these new concepts. This dominance, and a heritage of colonialism and imperialism that has built resentment towards American and European impositions on native cultures, has caused recent movements in other countries away from English. The rising influence of other non–English-speaking countries on world economics, science, and technology makes further declines in the universality of English likely.

In addition, many who know English as a second language speak it only minimally, though they may be able to read or understand many words. India is a prominent example of a country where English is the only language more or less understood throughout the country, which has about 1500 languages and dialects; but the English spoken in India is often unintelligible to Americans or Britons. In fact, English is one of the most difficult languages to learn to use well. In countries where English is spoken along with other languages, it has been adapted into dialects which match the local culture and borrow words from the other local languages. Some of these dialects are as much as 70% unintelligible to American or British speakers, or to each other. As such, there is no single English language to call an 'international' one.

Lojban is a single language, with design features to discourage breaking up into separate languages. While it was developed primarily by Americans, and was designed to be at least as expressive as English is, Lojban's cultural neutrality gives equal priority to the structures and concepts of other languages and cultures. This cultural neutrality enhances Lojban's acceptability as an international language. Since it is as capable as English is of generating or borrowing any words needed to support the concepts of science and technology, and has special advantages for computer applications, Lojban is likely to spread worldwide through the technological community. Far more so than English, Lojban is simple and easy to learn for people of all cultures.
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 13.'論理的'言語とか'一義的'言語で詩はかけますか?

Original poetry has already been written in Lojban, and some has been translated into the language. Lojban's powerful tanru metaphor structure allows you to build concepts into words easily, as you need them, and has been used to create colorful images and to convey moving emotions. A Lojban speaker doesn't need a dictionary to use and understand millions of words that can potentially exist in the language. The absence of cultural constraints makes consideration of new ideas and relationships easier than in natural languages, spurring creativity. Lojban aids in communicating abstractions by identifying their nature explicitly. Lojban is thus a very powerful language, not only for poetry, but for discussing such abstract fields as philosophy, physics, metaphysics, and religion.

Lojban poets are already experimenting with new (and old) forms of poetry that seem especially well suited to the rhythm, sound, and flow of the language. Rarely do poets have such an opportunity to affect the development of a new language as they now can with Lojban. Lojban's rich and powerful. Lojban unleashes the full potential of poetic expression to communicate both concrete and abstract ideas.
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 14.Lojbanはどんな風に作られたのですか?

Lojbanは、はじめ'Loglan'として、ジェームズ・クック・ブラウンによって1950年代にそのコンセプトが提唱されました。ブラウンは1960年のサイエンティフィック・アメリカン誌に載せたLoglanと題する論文で、この言語を開発する援助を広く求めました。その当時、言語学の分野において革命が進行中であり、その結果、人間の言語の理解が飛躍的に高まったのですが、これに伴って開発の目標とするところも変更されました。そうして、最初のLoglan言語の辞書とその説明があちこちで読まれるようになったのは1975年になってからのことでした。しかし、説明不足な点があったことや開発がまだ続けられていたことから学ぶのはためらわれました。さらに、ちょうど計算機の進歩が追いつき、文法を改良し、あいまいさを無くし、実際にあいまいさが無いことを数学的に証明もできるようになりました。40年以上にわたって、開発は経済的な援助なしにボランティアで行われてきています。今、数回のバージョンアップを経て、最新のものを人々が学び、使っています。（このバージョンから初めて、'Lojban'という名前になったのです。'Lojban'は、"logical-language"のLojbanの語根からきています。）
これが、きちんと定まった語彙と、完全な文法をもった初めてのバージョンです。こうしてしっかりと言語を定義するにあたっては、1988年から1998年にかけての、長く困難な調査分析の期間を経ています。ですから、Lojban はとても新しい言語だともいえます。色々な人が Lojban を習う間も言語として安定しているよう、その定義については厳密に管理されています; 文法と、コアとなる語彙は既に数年の間、凍結されています。話者の人数が増え、Lojban による文章がたくさん書かれたときには、Lojban は制限されることなく自然言語のように成長し花開くでしょう。
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 15.Lojban人口はどれくらい?

ある言語の話者がどれくらいか、という見積もりは色々な仮定や定義付けによって変わります。が、少なくともLojbanのような言語については、はっきりとした答を出すことができます。Lojbanのメーリングリストが最大のLojbanコミュニティとなっていますが、現在、200人以上の登録があり、20名ほどがレギュラーメンバーです。Lojbanオンリーのメーリングリストもあるほどに成熟もしています。デジタルにIRC上や、実際に顔と顔とあわせてのリアルタイムのやり取りにも広く使われてきました。Though the Lojban-speaking community is so widely diffused that the opportunity for conversation does not arise frequently, the number of Lojbanists who can sustain a conversation in the language certainly ranges beyond what can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and is steadily increasing. Lojban has been proven in communicative use for well over a decade, and the range and expressivity of the language is being continually explored by the language community.

The first speakers of Lojban have a unique opportunity. They are the history-makers who will shape the flavor of the first totally new language to achieve broad speakability. Their ideas will be most influential in setting the patterns of usage that others will learn from. Their experiences will teach things about language that have never before been learned ― or learnable.
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 16.Lojbanを学ぶ利点は?

There are several reasons for learning the language now. Those who are working with the language now are actively consulted for their opinions on how to teach and spread the language. Within a few weeks of work learning from the materials already written, you will be able to work with those who have already started. You will be a significant part of this small but rapidly growing community. You will receive personal attention to any problems you have with the language from those leading the effort. If you are truly ambitious and committed to the language, you are welcome to join in that leadership.

Those with a computer background who learn the language now will be the leaders in developing the earliest practical computer applications for the language. Meanwhile, computer-oriented Lojbanists can also aid in developing computer-aided instruction tools or converting existing software to run on new computers.

People not interested in computers will also find Lojban a valuable language. You may be interested in the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis, and in the scientific tests to be planned and conducted, or in other language-related research. You may be interested in Lojban's potential as an international language, and in the attempts to use the language to reach across cultural boundaries.

Regardless of your background, you will find learning Lojban to be a mind-expanding experience. Learning any language other than your native tongue broadens your perspectives and allows you to transcend the necessarily limited viewpoints of your native language's culture. Lojban, being simpler to learn than natural languages, provides this benefit much more quickly than does the study of other languages. And being quite different from natural languages, Lojban provides this benefit more directly.

Having learned Lojban, you will find it easier to learn other languages and to communicate with people from other backgrounds, regardless of the language studied; the linguistic principles you learn while learning Lojban are applicable to these languages and the communication problems they entail. The logical organization embedded in Lojban will aid you in organizing and clarifying your thoughts. Your new perspective on language, ambiguity, and communication will allow you to express those thoughts more clearly, even when you use an ambiguous natural language.

You needn't learn Lojban for any practical purpose, however. Many, if not most, of those who are learning Lojban are doing so because it is fun. Learning Lojban is intellectually stimulating, providing human interaction (a way to meet other people and get to know them) and mental challenge. Lojban has all the benefits of games designed for entertainment, with the side benefit of that entertainment developing into a useful skill.

Learning Lojban as an intellectual toy means that you can get enjoyment from learning Lojban without anywhere near the effort needed to benefit from studying other languages. While becoming fluent in Lojban will probably take hundreds of hours over several months, you can feel some sense of accomplishment in the language after just a couple of hours of study. You can use Lojban immediately for fun, while gaining skill with greater experience.
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 17.Lojbanの学習法は?

This text appears in a booklet including a description of the grammar of Lojban and some introductory learning materials. If you are reading this text in a separately printed brochure, you may write to the Logical Language Group at the address found at the end of this brochure, and we will be happy to provide the complete booklet. We request a contribution of $5 to cover its cost.

If you are reading this brochure on-line, or have access to the Internet, the complete What is Lojban? booklet is also available on the World Wide Web for free at the address:

http://www.lojban.org/publications/level0.html

Once you have read this booklet, there are several directions you may proceed, depending on your goals for use of the language.

Most people learning the language will work for some time on their own before working with others. We recommend, where possible, that you identify at least one other person to study and interact with, either in person or by mail. The Logical Language Group maintains lists of Lojban students of various degrees of skill and activity levels. There is also both a general and an in-Lojban discussion group available on the Internet. Information will be found at the end of this document.

Almost any use you wish to make of Lojban requires some degree of mastery of the basic vocabulary. You can learn enough Lojban grammar to support conversation in just a couple of hours, but you will need vocabulary in order to use that grammar.

You can learn the Lojban vocabulary using computer software. The Logical Language Group has computer-aided–teaching programs distributed under the name LogFlash, with MS-DOS/Windows, Macintosh and Unix versions currently available. The software is based on flash-card teaching techniques, which are extremely efficient in helping you learn the vocabulary. Other computer software is available, including a parser and a glosser.

You can learn the Lojban grammar in several ways, including by studying the examples in our on-line text archives and mailing lists, and by going through the formal grammar description. (The formal grammars are available in two formats, YACC and simplified E-BNF.)

An introduction to the grammar of Lojban will be found in Technical Descriptions in the What is Lojban? booklet. There is also a set of introductory lessons available (these cover the basics of the language, but at a more leisurely pace): Lojban for Beginners, by Robin Turner and Nick Nicholas. A complete grammatical description of Lojban, The Complete Lojban Language by John W. Cowan, was published by the Logical Language Group in 1997. This is an authoritative reference, and can be used as an aid to learning the advanced features of the language.

A formal Lojban dictionary is being compiled, and will encompass the word lists already available from the Logical Language Group as of this writing. Draft versions of the dictionary are available on the Lojban web site (see contact details below).

Of course the only way to really learn a language is to use it. The Logical Language Group will assist you in finding other Lojban students of comparable skill level and interests, either in your local area or reachable by post or electronic mail. The on-line Lojban discussion groups regularly contain Lojban text, some with detailed translations and some without translation, as well as discussions of language points by various members of the Lojban community. There is also a discussion group specifically for beginners as of this writing. Of course the best way to use the language is to recruit friends and associates into studying and using the language with you. Even if they are not interested in the same language goals as you are, the 'hobbyist' aspect of the language will provide interesting and stimulating entertainment for all concerned.
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 18.The Logical Language Groupって何ですか?

The Logical Language Group, Inc. is a non-profit organization, the embodiment of the Loglan/Lojban community. We were founded to complete the language development process, to develop and publish teaching materials, to organize and teach the community, to promote applications of Lojban, and to initiate and lead research efforts in linguistics, language education, and other areas related to Lojban. Simply put, our purpose is to serve you in all manner of things Lojbanic. The Logical Language Group is not affiliated with The Loglan Institute, Inc., the organization founded by James Cooke Brown.

The Logical Language Group is also called la lojbangirz. (/lah lozh-BAHN-geerz./), its Lojban name. It was founded informally in 1987, and incorporated in 1988. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service approved our status as a non-profit educational/scientific charity in 1989, making donations and grants to the organization deductible under U.S. tax law.

Loglan/Lojban has been developed almost totally by volunteer labor and small donations of money. Lojban attracts people who are willing to devote a lot of time and effort to seeing their dreams become reality. Thus, our only income has been money derived from sales of our publications, and donations from interested supporters.

The Logical Language Group publishes and sells printed materials on Lojban. All language definition information is considered in the public domain, and most Logical Language Group publications are distributed under a policy which allows not-for-charge copying and redistribution. Computer versions of many of our publications are available on-line at no charge. We ask people who receive our materials by any of these means to let us know, so that we may better serve you, and donate liberally, so that we may continue to serve you.

Most materials that we sell require either prior payment, an informal commitment to pay on your part, or your statement that you cannot afford to pay for materials (in which case our supplying these materials is at our discretion). We attempt to flexibly support Lojbanists who have financial constraints, and will accept reasonable offers of reduced or delayed payments subject to our financial condition, given your commitment to actively maintain contact and involvement with the community. Obviously, the level of your prior and current activity and any commitments you make to learning the language, or to volunteer work for la lojbangirz., will be factored into our decision.

la lojbangirz. has a special commitment to support Lojbanists outside the U.S., because so many of the language goals are dependent on building an international community of speakers, and because we recognize the difficulties caused by the international currency market and the relative wealth of nations. We can accept bank cheques in most currencies and international payment via PayPal. We also encourage people to form groups so that they can receive a single copy of our materials, copying or passing them to others to keep the per-person costs low. We expect a lower standard of contact and contribution from overseas Lojbanists when deciding whether to continue sending our materials at reduced or no charge.

We ask all recipients of our materials to help us financially in any way you can. The Logical Language Group needs your gifts for support of the Loglan/Lojban project. Artificial languages are historically not self-sustaining financially, and have difficulty receiving outside support. The Logical Language Group, Inc. is prohibited by its bylaws from spending more than 15% of its expenses for administrative purposes, except by special agreement with a donor who agrees to cover such added costs in full.
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 19.The Logical Language Groupのコミュニティにたいする貢献はどんなものがありますか?

The Logical Language Group coordinates and promotes activities involving Lojban and the Lojban community. In that role, it publishes materials enabling people to learn the language, and facilitates their forming a community of speakers. Most people involved with Lojban stay informed by checking our web page or participating in the Lojban mailing lists (see contact details below). The Logical Language Group also publishes newsletters and journals, including both general news, aimed at those not actively involved in learning and using the language, and more specific material, including discussions of features of the language, debates on research issues and applications, letters from the community and responses, and Lojban writings and translations.

Our printed publications are free of advertisements (other than our own ordering information, and occasional mention of individuals and organizations who have contributed particular service to our efforts); and we do not sell our mailing list. Our publications are distributed as cheaply as possible to encourage new people to participate. In the interest of attracting the widest audience possible, we are committed to distributing as much material as possible using the 'open source' concept for computer software and a similar policy for printed publications. This policy retains our copyrights but allows you, with relatively few restrictions, to copy our materials for your friends.

Certain materials that we publish contain information that we place in the public domain. All language definition information is considered to be public.

If you are attempting to learn the language, we will provide as much help as we can to assist you. We will put you in touch with Lojbanists who might be interested in studying or communicating with you in the language. You can also send your writings to us for review, or for indirect exchange with others. We try to foster research and social interaction among those who are learning, or who have already learned the language. We aid such people in organizing, leading, and teaching formal classes and study groups, and will sponsor affiliated groups in local areas where non-profit sponsorship can be of benefit. We conduct an annual celebration of the language and community (July or August), called 'Logfest', in conjunction with our annual business meeting in the Washington DC area. We also expect to support other local meetings and gatherings as the community grows.

Of course, we also try to publicize the language. Our representatives can attend meetings to give presentations on the language. We distribute informational material, including these booklets. Through our efforts, and with your help, the community of Lojbanists is rapidly growing.
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 20.何かできることはありますか?

You can become involved in the Lojban project in a variety of ways, depending on your background and interests, and on your available time:

• you can participate in completing the language documentation;
• you can devise applications for Lojban in computers, education, linguistics, and other fields;
• you can help in organizing Lojbanists in your area, and in recruiting new Lojbanists;
• you can help in teaching the language to new people (even while learning yourself);
• you can assist in spreading Lojban to non–English-speaking cultures by helping translate materials into other languages, and by identifying, recruiting, and communicating with contacts in other countries (international involvement is vital to ensuring that Lojban remains culturally neutral);
• you can contribute financially to support our organization, its activities, and its publications;
• you can use Lojban in composition, translation, and conversation with other Lojbanists.

For many of these activities, you need to learn the language first. However, even those who haven't yet had time to learn the language can assist in recruiting and contributing ideas to the effort.

Helping to publicize the language, of course, does not take a lot of time, or necessarily even knowing the language. Talk to friends, relatives and colleagues. We will gladly provide copies of this brochure on request. Lojban tends to sell itself; people who learn of it are more often than not intrigued by it.

Keep in touch with us. We want to know your ideas and opinions on the language, on our various activities, and on our products. We welcome open debate on the language, and have even printed and made available writings that are critical of various aspects of our efforts, when they are of sufficient general interest. Open debate aids in understanding and improves the overall quality of the language and of our presentation of it to the world. Much of the language design is now complete, and the Logical Language Group is committed to maintaining a stable version of the language. Nonetheless, we would rather hear criticism now within our community and either correct our problems or prepare an adequate response, than do so later when such issues are raised by outsiders.

In short, Lojban is a product of all of the community, including you ― if you choose.

Of course, the most important thing you can do is:

Use Lojban!: Lojban will not really achieve the status of 'language' until people use it. We need creative people to write Lojban prose, poetry, and dialog. We need translations made from fiction, technical literature, from religious and philosophical writings, and from music. Only in this way will Lojban be proven practical, and gain the credibility it needs to succeed.
前 | 目次 | 次

^ 21.連絡先は?

We have several volunteers who serve to coordinate Lojban activities in specific regions of the world. There is also a limited amount of Lojban materials translated into languages other than English. This support is constantly being added to; please contact us for details.

The Logical Language Group's website, which contains all its publicly available information, is at:

http://www.lojban.org

Several active Lojban-related mailing lists are available on the Internet. The general Lojban list is lojban; the list for discussions in Lojban only is jbosnu; and the list specifically for beginners is lojban-beginners. They may be accessed as follows:

Web

• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lojban
• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jbosnu
• http://www.lojban.org/lsg2/ (lojban-beginners)

Email

• lojban@yahoogroups.com
• jbosnu@yahoogroups.com
• lojban-beginners@chain.digitalkingdom.org

Subscribe

http://www.lojban.org/lsg2/ for all lists.

(All lists are mirrored outside yahoo.com, on the Lojban web server: http://www.lojban.org/lsg2/)

If you have received a registration form and an order form with this booklet, you can provide us with useful information to aid us in serving you, and can order some of our materials. Write or call:

The Logical Language Group, Inc.
2904 Beau Lane
Fairfax, VA 22031
U.S.A.
(+1 703) 385-0273

E-mail can be sent to us at: lojban@lojban.org

.e'osai ko sarji la lojban.
/eh-ho-sigh, ko-SAHR-zhee, lah LOZH-bahn./
Please support Lojban!
前 | 目次 | 次