The gismu weren't designed not to overlap. In fact, there's quite a
not of overlap, not to mention antonyms that we can otherwise obtain
by using {to'e}. Furthermore, some gismu can even be produced in a
lujvo form, using only other gismu (klama is one such example).
The advantage of having simple gismu for concepts that can otherwise
be encoded using more complex mechanisms is that the focus of the
selbri is different and actually saying it is simple. We can ask this
question in reverse, as well, as "How come we have to say {krafamtei}.
Shouldn't there be a gismu for that, rather than a 3-part lujvo?" I'd
figure that duration is a concept useful and common enough to deserve
a gismu, but of course, that just isn't the way it is, and we deal
with it.
Concretely, {danfu} differs from {preti} in that there're no places
including the persons in question, in {danfu}. It seems like {danfu}
is about the "correct answer" or simply "the answer" to a problem or
question, ignoring who spoke the question or who actually did the
answering, whereas {preti} includes those people, because questions
must necessarily originate from some being(s) smart enough to make
them up.
On the other hand, {spuda} is really the oddball of the gang and is
certainly commonly used in the most awkward fashion. To understand
{spuda}, I think that it's necessary to look at {frati} which most
definitely has the closest place structure, differing only in its
fourth place (an "under conditions" too). In my opinion, the
difference lays only in the volition of the x1. {frati} is just about
a reaction, where {spuda} is just about a response.
Both {frati} and {spuda} involve what amount to "actions" in lojban,
which can be represented with ka, nu, or whatever floats your boat
these days, rather than simple text, not to mention that {danfu} is
probably not limited to text/questions only: {lo ka klama lo zarci cu
danfu lo nu posycau lo ladru}.
In that regard, {danfu} differs from {spuda} only in agentiveness. In
fact, adding an agent place to {danfu} probably results in {spuda}. If
that agent performs the response in a non-volitional manner, then it's
{frati}. As for {preti}, asking questions is probably always a
volitional act, as it requires the mental capabilities that make us
differ from machines or possibly other life forms. Furthermore, where
I can say {.i mi spuda lo li'i claxu lo ka jikca kei kei lo ka penmi
lo pendo} I can't produce anything similar at all using {preti}.
{preti} involves only text or predications {lu .i xu lo me do moi cu
pinsi lo xekri li'u preti lo do pinsi mi do}
mu'o mi'e la tsani
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