13.15. A sample dialogue

The following dialogue in Lojban illustrates the uses of attitudinals and protocol vocatives in conversation. The phrases enclosed in sei ... se'u indicate the speaker of each sentence.

la rik. .e la .alis. nerkla le kafybarja
That-name Rick and that-named Alice in-go to-the coffee-bar.

Rick and Alice go into the coffee bar.

.i sei la rik. cusku se'u
[Comment] that-named Rick says, [end-comment]
ta'a ro zvati be ti
[Interrupt] all at this-place,
mi ba za speni ti .iu
I [future] [medium] am-spouse-to this-one [love].

Rick said, Sorry to break in, everybody. Pretty soon I'm getting married to my love here.

.i sei la djordj. cusku se'u
[Comment] that-named George says, [end-comment]
.a'o ko gleki doi ma
[Hope] [You-imperative] are-happy, O [who?]

George said, I hope you'll be happy, um, ...?

.i sei la pam. cusku se'u pe'u .alis.
[Comment] that-named Pam says, [end-comment] [Please] Alice,
xu mi ba terfriti le nunspenybi'o
[Is-it-true?] I [future] receive-offer-of the event-of-spouse-becoming?

Pam said, Please, Alice, am I going to be invited to the wedding?

.i sei la mark. cusku se'u
[Comment] that-named Mark says, [end-comment]
coi ba za speni
[Greetings] [future] [medium] spouse(s),
a'o le re do lifri le ka gleki
[Hope] the two of-you experience the property-of being-happy.

Mark said, Hello, spouses-to-be. I hope both of you will be very happy.

.i sei la rik. cusku se'u
[Comment] that-named Rick says, [end-comment]
mi'e .rik. doi terpreti
[I-am] Rick, O questioners.

Rick said, My name is Rick, for those of you who want to know.

.i sei la .alis. cusku se'u
[Comment] that-named Alice says, [end-comment]
nu'e .pam. .o'e ro'i do ba zvati
[Promise-to] Pam, [closeness] [emotional] you [future] are-at.

Alice said, I promise you'll be there, Pam honey.

.i sei la fred. cusku se'u
[Comment] that-named Fred says, [end-comment]
.ui nai cai ro'i mi ji'a
[Happy] [not] [maximal] [emotional] I [additionally]
prami la .alis. fe'o .rik.
love that-named Alice. [Over-and-out-to] Rick.

I love Alice too, said Fred miserably. Have a nice life, Rick.

.i la fred. cliva
that-named Fred leaves.

And he left.

.i sei la rik. cusku se'u
[Comment] that-named Rick says, [end-comment]
fi'i ro zvati
[Welcome-to] all at-place,
ko pinxe pa ckafi fi'o pleji mi
[You-imperative] drink one coffee with payer me.

Rick said, raising his voice, A cup of coffee for the house, on me.

.i sei la pam. cusku se'u
[Comment] that-named Pam says, [end-comment]
be'e selfu
[Request-to-speak-to] server.

Pam said, Waiter!

.i sei le selfu cu cusku se'u re'i
[Comment] the server says, [end-comment] [Ready-to-receive].

The waiter replied, May I help you?

.i sei la pam. cusku se'u
[Comment] that-named Pam says, [end-comment]
.e'o ko selfu le traji xamgu ckafi
[Petition] [You-imperative] serve the (superlatively good) coffee
le ba za speni fi'o pleji mi
to-the [future] [medium] spouse with payer me.

Pam said, One Jamaica Blue for the lovebirds here, on my tab.

.i sei le selfu cu cusku se'u vi'o
[Comment] the server says, [end-comment] [Will-comply]

Gotcha, said the waiter.

.i sei la rik. cusku se'u ki'e .pam.
[Comment] that-named Rick says, [end-comment] [Thanks] Pam.

Thanks, Pam, said Rick.

.i sei la pam. cusku se'u je'e
[Comment] that-named Pam says, [end-comment] [Acknowledge].

Sure, said Pam.

.i sei la djan. cusku se'u
[Comment] that-named John says, [end-comment]
.y. mi .y. mutce spopa .y. le nu le speni
[Uh] I [uh] very [nonexistent-gismu] [uh] the event-of the spouse
si .y. ba speni .y. .y. su .yyyyyy. mu'o
[erase] [uh] [future] spouse [uh] [uh] [erase-all] [uh] [over]

John said, I, er, a lotta, uh, marriage, upcoming marriage, .... Oh, forget it. Er, later.

.i sei la djordj. cusku se'u
[Comment] that-named George says, [end-comment]
ke'o .djan. zo'o
[Repeat-O] John [humor].

How's that again, John? said George.

.i sei la pam. cusku se'u
[Comment] that-named Pam says, [end-comment]
ju'i .djordj. .e'unai le kabri ba zi farlu
[Attention] George, [Warning] the cup [future] [short] falls.

George, watch out! said Pam. The cup's falling!

.i le kabri cu je'a farlu
The cup indeed falls.

The cup fell.

.i sei la djan. cusku se'u
[Comment] that-named John says, [end-comment]
e'o doi djordj. zo'o rapygau
[Petition] o George [humor] repeat-cause.

John said, Try that again, George!

.i sei la djordj. cusku se'u
[Comment] that-named George says, [end-comment]
co'o ro zvati pe secau la djan. ga'i
[Partings] all at-place which-are without that-named John [superiority]

Goodbye to all of you, said George sneeringly, except John.

.i la djordj. cliva
that-named George leaves.

George left.