You are on an island and you meet three people, Jeswin, Parker and Crasbo. You know that they are either liars, knights or knaves (someone who alternates between truth and lie). They have a strange religion - for one half of the year they talk in English and for the other half they talk Gambalidarian (their language). Naturally, you arrive during the latter part of the year. You know that if you ask them what they are, they either say 'Blarg', 'Grot' or 'Cloysta', but you don't know which means what out of liar knight and knave. You also know that 'Jappa' means 'is a' and 'Bokka' means 'I am a'. They give the following statements:

Jeswin : Bokka Grot. Parker Jappa Cloysta.

Parker : Bokka Blarg. Crasbo Jappa Blarg.

Crasbo : Bokka Grot. Jeswin Jappa Cloysta.

What does Blarg, Grot and Cloysta mean in English, and what are each of the people?

Beginning with the fact that no Liar would call himself as such, then Grot could not mean Liar in any case. Then:
1. If Jeswin is a Grot (Knight), Parker is a Cloysta (Liar).
Then Parker is not a Blarg (Knive), and Crasbo is not a Blarg either.
Then Crasbo has to be also a Cloysta, then Jeswin could be a Grot.
That give us this result:
Jeswin = Grot (Knight)
Parker = Cloysta (Liar)
Crasbo = Cloysta (Liar)
But if Parker is a Cloysta (Liar), Crasbo could be also a Grot (Knight), then he is telling the truth, so Jeswin would be a Cloysta... So:
2. If Jeswin is not a Grot (a Knight), Parker is not a Cloysta (Liar).
Then Parker could be either Grot or Blarg (Knave). If he is a Grot then Crasbo is a Blarg; but if Parker is a Blarg, then Crasbo could be either Grot or Blarg. If Crasbo is a Grot, Jeswin is a Cloysta; but if Crasbo is a Blarg, then Jeswin could be either Cloysta or Grot... and we start again.
So another result could be:
Jeswin = Cloysta (Liar)
Parker = Grot (Knight)
Crasbo = Blarg (Knave)

Posted by Maria on 2003-11-01 15:59:01