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. |