7. Indefinite pro-sumti and pro-bridi: the zo'e-series and the co'e-series

   zo'e    KOhA    zo'e-series the obvious value
    zu'i    KOhA    zo'e-series the typical value
    zi'o    KOhA    zo'e-series the nonexistent value
    co'e    GOhA    co'e-series has the obvious relationship

7.1)  mi klama le bartu be le zdani
        le nenri be le zdani
        zu'i zu'i
    I go to-the outside of the house
        from-the inside of the house
        [by-typical-route] [by-typical-means]

In Example 7.1, the first ``zu'i'' probably means something like ``by the door'', and the second ``zu'i'' probably means something like ``on foot'', those being the typical route and means for leaving a house. On the other hand, if you are at the top of a high rise during a fire, neither ``zu'i'' is appropriate. It's also common to use ``zu'i'' in ``by standard'' places.

Finally, the cmavo ``zi'o'' represents a value which does not even exist. When a bridi fills one of its places with ``zi'o'', what is really meant is that the selbri has a place which is irrelevant to the true relationship the speaker wishes to express. For example, the place structure of ``zbasu'' is

actor x1 makes x2 from materials x3

Living things are made from cells.

This cannot be correctly expressed as:

7.2)  loi jmive cu se zbasu [zo'e] fi loi selci
    The-mass-of living-things is-made [by-something]
        from the-mass-of cells

7.3)  loi jmive cu se zbasu zi'o
        loi selci
    The-mass-of living-things is-made [without-maker]
        from the-mass-of cells.

7.4)  mi zbasu le dinju loi mudri
    I make the building from-some-of-the-mass-of wood.
    I make the building out of wood.

7.5)   zi'o zbasu le dinju
        loi mudri
    [without-maker] makes the building
        from-some-of-the-mass-of wood.
    The building is made out of wood.

7.6)   mi zbasu zi'o
        loi mudri
    I make [without-thing-made]
        from-some-of-the-mass-of wood.
    I build using wood.

7.7)   mi zbasu loi mudri zi'o
    I make the building [without-material].
    I make the building.

If Example 7.4 is true, then Examples 7.5 through 7.7 must be true also. However, Example 7.3 does not correspond to any sentence with three regular (non-``zi'o'') sumti.

The pro-bridi ``co'e'' (which by itself constitutes the co'e-series of selma'o GOhA) represents the elliptical selbri. Lojban grammar does not allow the speaker to merely omit a selbri from a bridi, although any or all sumti may be freely omitted. Being vague about a relationship requires the use of ``co'e'' as a selbri place-holder:

7.8)  mi troci le nu
        mi co'e le vorme
    I try the event-of
        my [doing-the-obvious-action] to-the door.
    I try the door.

The English version means, and the Lojban version probably means, that I try to open the door, but the relationship of opening is not actually specified; the Lojbanic listener must guess it from context. Lojban, unlike English, makes it clear that there is an implicit action that is not being expressed.

The form of ``co'e'' was chosen to resemble ``zo'e''; the cmavo ``do'e'' of selma'o BAI (see Chapter 9) also belongs to the same group of cmavo.

Note that ``do'i'', of the di'u-series, is also a kind of indefinite pro-sumti: it is indefinite in referent, but is restricted to referring only to an utterance.