sera'aku secu'utu'azo PLI mela'ogy. metaphors gy.

[Don Wiggins <dwiggins@BFSEC.BT.CO.UK>]

> >    .i ti pluta p[e'a] la bebl.
> But shouldn't the <p[e'a]> apply to the entire [bridi]

I suppose that the entire relation is figurative, but it is especially the
'way'/'road' part which is metaphorical.

Actually the lojbanisation of Babel and Babylonia are a bit confusing for me.
You appear to pronounce both of these names with the same vowel approximating
to lojban .ebu.  But for me, Babel has .ebu and Babylonia has .abu.

> 'Course, in Hebrew, it's "baVEL."

giving "la baVEL."

> the land of Shinar (Babylonia)

and "la cinar.".  Though these are not by any means obvious to English-speakers.

> So what I want is "the (planned) city of Babel", that is the planned (but
> uncompleted) city where the tower of Babel was built (I don't know the name
> of the city, and if I did referring to it by name would obscure the
> metaphor)

I would suggest "le tcadu pesetu'i la baVEL." - the thing I describe as a
city that is associated with the location of Babel.  The planned does not need
to be expressed due to the the non-veridical nature of "le", you are only
describing it as a city, it does have to actually be one.  If you wish to be
very particular, "lo na'e mulno tcadu pesetu'i la baVEL." means the thing which
is actually an other-than completed city that is associated with the location
of Babel and "lo selpla tcadu li'o" means the planned (by someone) city.

> .i p[a'e] ti pluta le tcadu vi la bebl

This means "metaphorically, this is the route to the city and it (the route) is
near Babel."

> .i p[a'e] ti pluta la bebl

This means "metaphorically, this is the route to Babel."  This is fine.

.i co'omi'e dn.