durka42 wrote:
> I think the fuzziness of sorta is exactly what Lojban strives to
avoid.

On some level, I agree. I think that Lojban aims to express all possible
distinctions and shades, which is why its inventory is supplied with the
likes of (for example) no'e, milxe, simsa, and sort of sorta.

But, on the other hand, sometimes semantic fuzziness is unavoidable
because real-life is messy and fuzzy, and sometimes even the speaker does
not know how to express (in brief at least) certain qualities and
classifications. Or perhaps, the speaker knows how to express them
(and/or the fuzziness of the situation), and accurately does so with a
'fuzzy' word. In either case, the expression is enabled in Lojban,
including by perhaps sorta. Embrace semantic and identification
fuzziness when necessary or possible, express what is needed or desired,
and do so in a syntactically unambiguous manner. There is no real conflict
there.

But this may be a philosophical difference. I think that sorta and its
productions can be taken seriously and can be useful.

:)