I will try to include a picture sometime, but I am not extremely profficient in such an art. I do not know if I am being terribly clear, it makes sense to me, so ask me to clarify or re-explain a point.
[zo mlatu] is a brivla (relation-word). It may function as a bridi, selbri, or sumti. Think of bridi as big metal blocks with little square holes in them. The whole block encompasses every aspect of the relationship. Stamped on the block is an identification-word, the selbri. This tells what precisely is the relation of the block, but not what is being related. The holes (really, they are indents, in my mind) are terbri, they describe what may be related. Sumti may be thought of as little blocks, of a slightly different colour. They have stamps on them too. These stamps are the identification-words, basically what the sumti is (named, described as, etc.) Fill the big block in with these little blocks, and you have a complete bridi. But, if you do not, a solid wedge gets stuck in each terbri hole (this is by default); this is [zo zo'e]. This makes the terbri hole filled up without giving it any real meaning. If the block is completely filled with such wedges, then the selbri basically becomes the entire bridi, because it is the only thing described on the block.
The sumti blocks that fill in the terbri of the bridi actually have little holes in them too (yes, these holes are terbri). The first one is filled by a gadri, which tells you how that sumti is to be interpreted. The sumti block is stamped, as said before, with an identification-word- which is the relationship between the gadri and the other terbri’s sumti. So it (the stamp) is a selbri. We have now just discovered that sumti are really there own little bridi! But unlike the previous bridi, when all the terbri holes are filled up (one way or another), the relationship does not end. That entire meaning is rolled up and act as an argument for the main bridi (or the sumti’s terbri holes are filled in, and then the entire sumti block is slid into a terbri hole of the next, more encompassing bridi). Even the things that fill in the terbri of a sumti have holes. So the process may continue indefinitely (or until, as the L4B says (or I am attempting to paraphrase, at least), your brain overheats).
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Why does one have to use '[loi]' instead of '[lo]' for #-fu'i-# things? Why should it not have a number after it? What do the numbers in front mean? What is the difference between '[le]' and '[lo]' and '[loi]'? What are the differences between '[le]' and 'the' & '[lo]' and 'a'/'some'? How do the grouping "articles" work?
By the way, am I correct in saying that '[le]' is a cmavo and '[mlatu]' is a sumti?
Thanks, I have a difficult time in understanding L4B. I am new to Lojban, so please go along with me. I also am not a native speaker of English, so if some of my typing does not make sense, I will happily try to explain my thoughts (preferably in French).
Again, merci bien.
What is the difference between "di'u" and "go'i"? Is it that "di'u" can be an entire utterance, id est a group of bridi expressed by someone?
Also, how do you remember the different meanings of the words of selma'o GOhA based on their letters ("go'i" = last bridi, "go'e" = penultimate bridi; 'e' is before 'i')?