diff --git a/pages/tokipona/0.md b/pages/tokipona/0.md index d5fca89..04cf037 100644 --- a/pages/tokipona/0.md +++ b/pages/tokipona/0.md @@ -18,6 +18,15 @@ Unlike English, every vowel uses the same sound in all words. If you know how to pronounce the vowel sounds in Spanish, Japanese or Esperanto, then you can pronounce them the same way in toki pona. +> %info% +> The "International Phonetic Alphabet" (IPA) is a common way to write +> down specific pronunciations of words and phrases in any language. +> +> It uses a version of the Latin alphabet with lots of additional characters +> added. For example, the IPA pronunciation of the English word "language" is +> /ˈlæŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/, but in toki pona, every single letter's pronunciation _is_ its +> IPA symbol! So "toki pona" is pronounced /toki pona/. + For examples of English words with corresponding pronunciations: * **a** sounds like the "u" in the word "up" or (in some variants of English) @@ -31,8 +40,11 @@ For examples of English words with corresponding pronunciations: * **u** sounds like the "oo" in "oops" or "moon". -Since there are so few sounds, different speakers may pronounce it with some -differences. For example, some might substitute the sounds "p,t,k" with "b,d,g". +Since there are so few sounds, the way they can be pronounced can be very +flexible. For example, some might substitute the sounds "p,t,k" with "b,d,g". +Such a shift would cause a lot of ambiguity or confusion in other languages, but +toki pona's sounds were chosen to be easy to distinguish, regardless of one's +native tongue. All toki pona words are pronounced with stress on their first syllable. @@ -52,4 +64,4 @@ English words: | tu | two | | wan | one | -[Next page](1.html) +[Top page](index.html) [Next page](1.html) diff --git a/pages/tokipona/1.md b/pages/tokipona/1.md index 35bf32a..0067967 100644 --- a/pages/tokipona/1.md +++ b/pages/tokipona/1.md @@ -4,18 +4,18 @@ The vocabulary for this page: -| word | meaning | derived from | -|-------|---------------------------------|------------------------------| -| mi | i, me, us | Esperanto "mi" (I, me) | -| sina | you | Finnish "sinä" (you) | -| ona | he, she, they, it | Serbo-Croatian "ona" (she) | -| li | (between subj. and verb/adj.) | Esperanto "li" (he) | -| pona | good, simple, to improve, to fix| Esperanto "bona" (good) | -| ike | bad, evil, complex, unnecessary | Finnish "ilkeä" (bad) | -| suli | big, great, important, to grow | Finnish "suuri" (big, great) | -| lili | small, few, young, to shrink | Tok Pisin "liklik" (small) | -| kili | fruit, vegetable, mushroom | Georgian "xili" (fruit) | -| soweli| land mammal, animal | Georgian "cxoveli" (beastly animal)| +| word | meaning | +|-------|---------------------------------| +| mi | i, me, us | +| sina | you | +| ona | he, she, they, it | +| li | (between subj. and verb/adj.) | +| pona | good, simple, to improve, to fix| +| ike | bad, evil, complex, unnecessary | +| suli | big, great, important, to grow | +| lili | small, few, young, to shrink | +| kili | fruit, vegetable, mushroom | +| soweli| land mammal, animal | Let's start with the most basic sentence structure in toki pona: @@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ usage, both "ona" and "suli" will be more clear based on context. And in this case, it doesn't make a lot of sense to use any meaning of "pona" other than "good". -There is one exception to the rule. If the subject is "mi" or "sina", then it is +There is an exception to the rule. If the subject is "mi" or "sina", then it is not necessary to add the word "li". So, instead of > sina li suli. - You are important. @@ -69,4 +69,4 @@ Now, how would you express the following ideas? > * ona li soweli. > * sina ike. -[Next page](2.html) [Previous page](0.html) +[Previous page](0.html) [Top page](index.html) [Next page](2.html) diff --git a/pages/tokipona/10.md b/pages/tokipona/10.md index 298806b..e368381 100644 --- a/pages/tokipona/10.md +++ b/pages/tokipona/10.md @@ -4,23 +4,23 @@ The vocabulary for this page -- pre-verbs: -| word | meaning | derived from | -|-------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| -| kama | coming, future, event | Tok Pisin "kamap" (event, become)| -| ken | can, ability, possibility | Tok Pisin "ken", English "can" | -| open | start, begin, open | English "open" | -| pini | end, finish, close | French "fini", Tok Pisin "pinis" | -| sona | knowledge, to know (how to) | Georgian "codna" (knowledge) | -| wile | want, need, desire | Dutch "willen" (want, desire) | +| word | meaning | +|-------|----------------------------------| +| kama | coming, future, event | +| ken | can, ability, possibility | +| open | start, begin, open | +| pini | end, finish, close | +| sona | knowledge, to know (how to) | +| wile | want, need, desire | and regular words: -| word | meaning | derived from | -|-------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| -| lupa | hole, door, window | Lojban "clupa" (loop) | -| nasin | path, road, directive, way | Serbo-Croatian "način" (method) | -| nena | hill, mountain, button, bump,nose| Finnish "nenä" (nose) | -| tenpo | time, moment | Esperanto "tempo" (time) | +| word | meaning | +|-------|----------------------------------| +| lupa | hole, door, window | +| nasin | path, road, directive, way | +| nena | hill, mountain, button, bump,nose| +| tenpo | time, moment | ## Pre-verbs @@ -69,11 +69,12 @@ When "kama" is added before "sona", you get a phrase that means "to learn": > mi kama sona toki kepeken toki pona. -- I am learning how to speak toki pona. -The word "wile" is used to express want or need for the following action. +The word "wile" is used to express want or need for the following action or +thing. > jan lili li wile moku. -- The child (is hungry / wants to eat). -> jan lili li wile e ijo musi. The child wants a toy (amusing thing). +> jan lili li wile e ijo musi. The child wants a toy ("amusing thing"). > wile sina li suli mute. -- Your needs/desires are very big. @@ -138,4 +139,4 @@ And try to translate the following sentences into toki pona. > * sina kute ala e jan sona la pali sina li ike. > * tenpo mute la mi pali e ni. / mi pali e ni lon tenpo mute. -[Next page](11.html) [Previous page](9.html) +[Previous page](9.html) [Top page](index.html) [Next page](11.html) diff --git a/pages/tokipona/11.md b/pages/tokipona/11.md index 0385cd0..b2db46b 100644 --- a/pages/tokipona/11.md +++ b/pages/tokipona/11.md @@ -4,18 +4,18 @@ The vocabulary for this page: -| word | meaning | derived from | -|-------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| -| wan | one, part (of smth), united | English "one" | -| tu | two, divide, divided | English "two" | -| sike | circle, round, ball, year | English "circle" | -| mani | money, large domesticated animal | English "money" | -| esun | trade, market, shop, exchange | unknown | -| mun | moon, star | English "moon" | -| nanpa | number, (ordinal indicator) | Tok Pisin "namba" (number) | -| poki | box, container, bowl, cup, drawer| Tok Pisin "bokis" (box) | -| sin | new, additional, fresh, extra | Mandarin "xīn" (new, fresh) | -| suno | sun, light, brightness, shine | Esperanto "suno" (sun) | +| word | meaning | +|-------|----------------------------------| +| wan | one, part (of smth), united | +| tu | two, divide, divided | +| sike | circle, round, ball, year | +| mani | money, large domesticated animal | +| esun | trade, market, shop, exchange | +| mun | moon, star | +| nanpa | number, (ordinal indicator) | +| poki | box, container, bowl, cup, drawer| +| sin | new, additional, fresh, extra | +| suno | sun, light, brightness, shine | ## Numerals @@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ The most basic numerals in toki pona are these words: * ala - 0, nothing * wan - 1 * tu - 2 -* mute - 3 or more +* mute (many) - 3 or more +* ale (all) - everything, endless This is, quite obviously, a very limited system. But it is not unique to toki pona: languages from some hunter-gatherer societies stop their numerals at @@ -90,39 +91,68 @@ used to describe periods of time: > tenpo sike -- year ("circle time"). +## Weather + +When talking about weather, the commonly used sentence is "[noun] li lon", which +literally means "[noun] exists" and translates to "It is [noun]y". Examples: + +> suno li lon. -- It is sunny. + +> telo sewi li lon. -- It is rainy. ("Sky water" exists.) + +> seli li lon. -- It is warm. + +> lete li lon. -- It is cold. + +## Dialectal differences + +> %info% +> This part of the document describes how certain toki pona courses differ in +> explaining certain ideas, or how communities differ in using them. + +The official book and the "o kama sona e toki pona!" course differ on how to use +ordinal numbers. The former suggests simply adding "nanpa", followed by +the number, while the latter proposes adding "pi nanpa" and the number. + +> jan nanpa wan -- first person + +> jan pi nanpa wan -- first person + +In the community, the former way seems slightly more widespread, so this course +will follow its example. + ## Exercises Now, try to figure out the meaning of these sentences. * mi wile esun e soweli suli tu wan ni. -* +* tenpo suno pini la mi lon tomo sona. * tenpo mun wan pini la lete li lon. * sina pona nanpa wan tawa mi. -* +* tenpo suno mute mute la telo sewi li awen. And try to translate the following sentences into toki pona. * I live in house #27 on Washington Street. -* -* -* -* +* The TV ("device of moving pictures") said tomorrow will be sunny. +* It will be cold tonight. +* May ("the 5th month") is lovely. +* You have a lot of musical instruments! Reveal answers > %spoiler% > * I would like to trade these three large animals. -> * +> * Yesterday, I was in school/college/university ("house of knowledge"). > * One month ago, it was cold. > * I like you the most. -> * +> * The rain continued for 40 days. > %spoiler% > * mi lon tomo nanpa mute luka tu pi nasin Wasintan. -> * -> * -> * -> * - -[Next page](12.html) [Previous page](10.html) +> * ilo pi sitelen tawa li toki e ni: tenpo suno kama la suno li lon. +> * tenpo pimeja la lete li lon. +> * (tenpo mun / tenpo sike mun) nanpa luka li (pona / suwi). +> * sina jo e ijo mute pi kalama musi a! +[Previous page](10.html) [Top page](index.html) [Next page](12.html) diff --git a/pages/tokipona/12.md b/pages/tokipona/12.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8ab5c43 --- /dev/null +++ b/pages/tokipona/12.md @@ -0,0 +1,77 @@ +% toki pona page 11 - the final countdown +% /dev/urandom +% april 2020 + +The vocabulary for this page: + +| word | meaning | +|-------|----------------------------------| +| akesi | "non-cute" animal, lizard | +| alasa | to hunt, to gather | +| kon | air, essence, spirit, ephemeral | +| pan | bread, grain, corn, rice, pizza | +| pilin | heart, feeling, touch, sense | +| pu | the official toki pona book, interacting with it | +| supa | horizontal surface | +| taso | but, however, only | +| uta | mouth, lips | +| weka | absent, away, remote, get rid of | + +These are the final 10 official words in toki pona. They all function in the +same way as other words mentioned before, with one exception. + +## taso + +The word "taso" can be used as a regular adjective to mean "only" or "just": + +> mi li lon tomo ni. -- I'm in this house. + +> mi taso li lon tomo ni. -- Only I'm in this house. + +> kulupu ona li jo e jan tu taso. -- Their community only has two people. + +> mi pali taso. -- I was only working. + +But, when added at the beginning of a sentence, it means "but" or "however": + +> taso, tenpo kama li wile ala ante. -- But, the future refused to change. + +## Exercises + +Now, try to figure out the meaning of these sentences. + +* sina wile kama sona e toki pona la pu li nasin pona nanpa wan tawa ni. +* tenpo suno ni la mi pilin pona mute. +* sina wile ala wile moku e pan sike? +* supa lape mi li pakala. mi ken ala lape tan ni. +* jan Mali Konto li toki e ni: o weka e ijo ike sina. +* kulupu ijo tu wan li lon. ona li kulupu kiwen, li kulupu telo, li kulupu kon. +* taso, meli lili pi jan lawa li lon tomo awen ante. + +And try to translate the following sentences into toki pona. + +* I saw a dragon ("big green fire lizard")! +* Hello! How are you? ("How do you feel?") +* The hunter gave us lots of meat and fruit. +* I'm reading a document. Very soon, it will end. +* I can speak toki pona very well. + +Reveal answers + +> %spoiler% +> * If you want to learn toki pona, the official book is the best way to do so. +> * Today I feel very good. +> * Would you want to eat some pizza? +> * My bed ("sleeping surface") is broken. I can't sleep because of it. +> * Marie Kondo says: get rid of unnecessary things. +> * There are three types of matter. These are: solids, liquids and gases. +> * But the princess is in another castle. + +> %spoiler% +> * mi lukin e akesi seli laso suli a! +> * toki! sina pilin seme? +> * jan alasa li pana e moku soweli mute e kili mute tawa mi mute. +> * mi lukin e lipu. tenpo lili la ona li pini. +> * mi ken toki pona mute kepeken toki pona. + +[Previous page](11.html) [Top page](index.html) diff --git a/pages/tokipona/2.md b/pages/tokipona/2.md index 534db47..563b652 100644 --- a/pages/tokipona/2.md +++ b/pages/tokipona/2.md @@ -4,18 +4,18 @@ The vocabulary for this page: -| word | meaning | derived from | -|---------|----------------------------------|-------------------------------| -| ala | no, not, zero | Georgian "ara" (no) | -| ale/ali | all, everything, universe | Dutch "alle" (all) | -| utala | fight, battle, challenge | Serbo-Croatian "udarati" (hit)| -| wawa | strong, powerful | Finnish "vahva" (strong) | -| suwi | sweet, cute, adorable | Tok Pisin "suwi" (sweet) | -| jan | person, people, humanity | Cantonese "jan" (person) | -| mama | parent, ancestor, creator, origin| Georgian "mama" (father) | -| meli | woman, female, feminine, wife | Tok Pisin "meri" (woman, wife)| -| mije | man, male, masculine | Finnish "mies" (man, husband) | -| moku | food, to eat | Japanese "mogumogu" (munching)| +| word | meaning | +|---------|----------------------------------| +| ala | no, not, zero | +| ale/ali | all, everything, universe | +| utala | fight, battle, challenge | +| wawa | strong, powerful | +| suwi | sweet, cute, adorable | +| jan | person, people, humanity | +| mama | parent, ancestor, creator, origin| +| meli | woman, female, feminine, wife | +| mije | man, male, masculine | +| moku | food, to eat | To define subjects and adjectives more clearly, you can add extra words as adjectives. In toki pona, an adjective that modifies a noun stands after the @@ -83,4 +83,4 @@ And try to translate the following sentences into toki pona. > * jan lili mije sina li wawa. > * kili lili li suwi. -[Next page](3.html) [Previous page](1.html) +[Previous page](1.html) [Top page](index.html) [Next page](3.html) diff --git a/pages/tokipona/3.md b/pages/tokipona/3.md index 1b65569..e30705d 100644 --- a/pages/tokipona/3.md +++ b/pages/tokipona/3.md @@ -4,18 +4,18 @@ The vocabulary for this page: -| word | meaning | derived from | -|-------|----------------------------------|-----------------------------------| -| e | (specifies an object) | unknown origin | -| ijo | thing, object | Esperanto "io" (something) | -| ilo | tool, machine, device | Esperanto "ilo" (tool) | -| lipu | book, document, paper | Finnish "lippu" (flag, banner) | -| lukin | eye, to look, to see, to seek to | Tok Pisin "lukim" (see, look at) | -| olin | love, compassion, affection | Serbo-Croatian "volim" (I love) | -| pali | to do, to work, to make, labor | Esperanto "fari" (do, make) | -| pana | to give, to send, to emit | Finnish "panna" (put, set, place) | -| telo | water, fluid, to water, to clean | Acadian French "de l'eau" (water) | -| tomo | home, room, structure | Esperanto "domo" (house) | +| word | meaning | +|-------|----------------------------------| +| e | (specifies an object) | +| ijo | thing, object | +| ilo | tool, machine, device | +| lipu | book, document, paper | +| lukin | eye, to look, to see, to seek to | +| olin | love, compassion, affection | +| pali | to do, to work, to make, labor | +| pana | to give, to send, to emit | +| telo | water, fluid, to water, to clean | +| tomo | home, room, structure | To add a verb to the sentence, use the following structure: @@ -98,4 +98,4 @@ And try to translate the following sentences into toki pona. > * jan utala ike li lukin e tomo sina. > * ilo mi li pali pona. -[Next page](4.html) [Previous page](2.html) +[Previous page](2.html) [Top page](index.html) [Next page](4.html) diff --git a/pages/tokipona/4.md b/pages/tokipona/4.md index 385dfdd..494ae4a 100644 --- a/pages/tokipona/4.md +++ b/pages/tokipona/4.md @@ -4,18 +4,18 @@ The vocabulary for this page: -| word | meaning | derived from | -|---------|----------------------------------|--------------------------------| -| jo | to have/carry/contain/hold | Mandarin "yǒu" (have) | -| kala | fish, marine animal, sea creature| Finnish "kala" (fish) | -| kasi | plant, grass, herb, leaf | Finnish "kasvi" (plant) | -| pipi | insect, bug | Acadian French "bibitte" (bug) | -| sitelen | symbol, image, writing, to draw | Dutch "schilderen" (paint) | -| toki | speech, to talk, language | Tok Pisin "tok" (talk) | -| waso | bird, flying creature | French "oiseau" (bird) | -| ma | earth, land, outdoors, territory | Finnish "maa" (earth/land) | -| kiwen | hard object, metal, stone, solid | Finnish "kiven" (of a stone) | -| ko | powder, clay, semi-solid | Cantonese "gou" (cream/paste) | +| word | meaning | +|---------|----------------------------------| +| jo | to have/carry/contain/hold | +| kala | fish, marine animal, sea creature| +| kasi | plant, grass, herb, leaf | +| pipi | insect, bug | +| sitelen | symbol, image, writing, to draw | +| toki | speech, to talk, language | +| waso | bird, flying creature | +| ma | earth, land, outdoors, territory | +| kiwen | hard object, metal, stone, solid | +| ko | powder, clay, semi-solid | This page will only cover the ten new words and a few small concepts. @@ -48,6 +48,12 @@ particles "li" or "e" followed by their verbs or objects. > jan pali li pona e ilo, li lukin e lipu. - A worker fixes the device and looks > at (reads) a document. +## Phrases + +The word "toki", when used by itself, is a common greeting: + +> toki! -- Hello! + ## Dialectal differences > %info% @@ -99,5 +105,4 @@ And try to translate the following sentences into toki pona. > * sitelen sina li pona lukin. > * jan pona mi li jo e kala e kili li pali e moku pona. -[Next page](5.html) [Previous page](3.html) - +[Previous page](3.html) [Top page](index.html) [Next page](5.html) diff --git a/pages/tokipona/5.md b/pages/tokipona/5.md index 2a75af7..28ed170 100644 --- a/pages/tokipona/5.md +++ b/pages/tokipona/5.md @@ -4,18 +4,18 @@ The vocabulary for this page: -| word | meaning | derived from | -|---------|---------------------------------|----------------------------------| -| ante | different, changed, to change | Dutch "ander" (other, different) | -| awen | keep, stay, endure, protect | Dutch "houden" (keep, care for) | -| en | and (combines subjects) | Dutch "en" (and) | -| kalama | sound, noise, to read/make sound| Serbo-Croatian "galama" (noise) | -| kulupu | group, community, society | Tongan "kulupu" (from "group") | -| lape | sleep, rest | Dutch "slapen" (sleep) | -| mute | many, more, quantity | Esperanto "multe" (a lot) | -| ni | this, that | Cantonese "ni" (this) | -| pakala | break, mistake, (generic curse) | Tok Pisin "bagarap" (accident) | -| seli | heat, warmth, chemical reaction | Georgian "cxeli" (hot) | +| word | meaning | +|---------|---------------------------------| +| ante | different, changed, to change | +| awen | keep, stay, endure, protect | +| en | and (combines subjects) | +| kalama | sound, noise, to read/make sound| +| kulupu | group, community, society | +| lape | sleep, rest | +| mute | many, more, quantity | +| ni | this, that | +| pakala | break, mistake, (generic curse) | +| seli | heat, warmth, chemical reaction | Before we discover a whole new type of words and new grammar, let's fill in some blanks. @@ -95,5 +95,4 @@ And try to translate the following sentences into toki pona. > * sina ante lukin. > * tomo ni li awen e seli. -[Next page](6.html) [Previous page](4.html) - +[Previous page](4.html) [Top page](index.html) [Next page](6.html) diff --git a/pages/tokipona/6.md b/pages/tokipona/6.md index 5c9d7a4..a7efd9d 100644 --- a/pages/tokipona/6.md +++ b/pages/tokipona/6.md @@ -4,31 +4,31 @@ The vocabulary for this page will be divided into two groups. Prepositions: -| word | meaning | derived from | -|---------|---------------------------------|----------------------------------| -| kepeken | to use, using, with the help of | Dutch "gebruiken" (to use) | -| lon | in, at, on, true, present, exist| Tok Pisin "long" (at, in, on) | -| sama | same as, similar, like, sibling | Esperanto/Finnish "sama" (same) | -| tan | from, because of, cause, reason | Cantonese "tsung" (from) | -| tawa | to, for, moving, from persp. of | English "towards" | +| word | meaning | +|---------|---------------------------------| +| kepeken | to use, using, with the help of | +| lon | in, at, on, true, present, exist| +| sama | same as, similar, like, sibling | +| tan | from, because of, cause, reason | +| tawa | to, for, moving, from persp. of | And regular words (which in this case all relate to locations): -| word | meaning | derived from | -|---------|---------------------------------|----------------------------------| -| sewi | up, above, sky, divine, sacred | Georgian "zevit" (upwards) | -| noka | foot, leg, bottom, under | Serbo-Croatian "noga" (foot/leg) | -| poka | hip, side, next to, nearby | Serbo-Croatian "boka" (of side) | -| monsi | back, behind, rear, butt | Acadian French "mon tchu" | -| sinpin | face, foremost, front, wall | Cantonese "tsin bin" (in front) | +| word | meaning | +|---------|---------------------------------| +| sewi | up, above, sky, divine, sacred | +| noka | foot, leg, bottom, under | +| poka | hip, side, next to, nearby | +| monsi | back, behind, rear, butt | +| sinpin | face, foremost, front, wall | Prepositions are words that are attacked to other parts of the sentence in order to express a place or time (more on that in the future) or a specific detail about the action. -In toki pona, the words "kepeken", "lon", "sama", "tan" and "tawa" can be -prepositions -- in which case they're added at the end of the sentence without -any extra particles -- or as regular words with related meanings. +In toki pona, the words "kepeken", "lon", "sama", "tan" and "tawa" are used as +prepositions, by being added at the end of the sentence without any extra +particles. Here are some examples of all five of these words, both as prepositions and as regular words: @@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ regular words: > mi tawa tan tomo mi. -- I am leaving my house. +> ona li awen lon tomo lipu. -- They stayed in the library. + > tomo tawa mi li pona. -- My car ("moving house/structure") is good. > mi tawa lon tomo moku. -- I am going to the restaurant ("house of food"). @@ -98,19 +100,55 @@ And here are some examples of the location words: > sinpin ona li pona lukin. -- Their face looks good. +## Phrases + +There are two different ways to say "goodbye". If you are leaving, it's: + +> mi tawa! -- Goodbye! (literally "I'm going.") + +If someone else is leaving, it's: + +> tawa pona! -- Goodbye! (literally "Good movement!") + +In fact, a lot of words followed by "pona" are used as greetings. + +> moku pona! -- Bon appetit! / Have a nice meal! (literally "Good food!") + +> lape pona! -- Good night! / Sweet dreams! (literally "Good sleep!") + ## Dialectal differences > %info% > This part of the document describes how certain toki pona courses differ in > explaining certain ideas. -The official book uses "lon" with a wider meaning, also including "with". For +* The official book uses "lon" with a wider meaning, also including "with". For example, "I speak in toki pona" is translated as "mi toki lon toki pona". This does not seem to be a common usage of the word. -Other courses also use "anpa" instead of "noka" to mean "below" (using "noka" -only to specifically mean "leg" or "foot".) The word "anpa" will be covered in -[page 7](7.html). +* The official book uses "noka" to mean both "foot" and "below". This is a +relatively new usage, and other courses prefer using "anpa" instead of "noka" to +mean "below" (using "noka" only to specifically mean "leg" or "foot".) The word +"anpa" will be covered in [page 7](7.html). + +* Sometimes, words like "kepeken" and "tawa" can be used both as prepositions +("using", "towards") and as verbs ("to use", "to move"). The official book +provides an example for "kepeken", where it's used as a verb: + +> o kepeken ala ilo ike. -- Don't use bad tools. + +The "o kama sona e toki pona!" course provides a different example in [lesson +6](http://tokipona.net/tp/janpije/okamasona6.php): + +> mi kepeken e ilo. -- I'm using tools. + +The difference is that in the former example, the object ("ilo ike") is directly +followed by the phrase "kepeken ala", and in the latter, "kepeken" is followed +by "e", like for any other verb. + +This course will follow the latter convention, since it is less ambiguous and +allows for more grammar. But in most such sentences, whether or not "e" is used +should not make the meaning ambiguous. ## Exercises @@ -146,5 +184,4 @@ And try to translate the following sentences into toki pona. > * mi pona e tomo tan sina. > * ona li lukin e lipu lon tomo lipu. -[Next page](7.html) [Previous page](5.html) - +[Previous page](5.html) [Top page](index.html) [Next page](7.html) diff --git a/pages/tokipona/7.md b/pages/tokipona/7.md index 5cdd171..535375c 100644 --- a/pages/tokipona/7.md +++ b/pages/tokipona/7.md @@ -4,21 +4,21 @@ The vocabulary for this page: -| word | meaning | derived from | -|-------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| -| a | (emotional interjection) | n/a | -| anu | or (for yes/no questions) | Georgian "an" (or) | -| mu | (any animal sound) | "moo" onomatopoeia | -| o | (addressing people, commands) | Georgian "-o" (vocative case) | -| seme | what? (for questions) | Mandarin "shénme" (what, smth) | +| word | meaning | +|-------|----------------------------------| +| a | (emotional interjection) | +| anu | or (for yes/no questions) | +| mu | (any animal sound) | +| o | (addressing people, commands) | +| seme | what? (for questions) | -| word | meaning | derived from | -|-------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| -| kute | listen, hear, obey, ear | Acadian French "écouter" (listen)| -| nimi | word, name | Finnish "nimi" (name) | -| lawa | head, control, own, rule, main | Serbo-Croatian "glava" (head) | -| anpa | lowly, humble, to conquer/defeat | Acadian French "en bas" (below) | -| insa | inside, contents, center, stomach| Tok Pisin "insait" (inside) | +| word | meaning | +|-------|----------------------------------| +| kute | listen, hear, obey, ear | +| nimi | word, name | +| lawa | head, control, own, rule, main | +| anpa | lowly, humble, to conquer/defeat | +| insa | inside, contents, center, stomach| ## Interjections and commands @@ -161,4 +161,4 @@ And try to translate the following sentences into toki pona. > * jan sama mije sina li lukin sama mute sina. > * o tawa ala lon ma. -[Next page](8.html) [Previous page](6.html) +[Previous page](6.html) [Top page](index.html) [Next page](8.html) diff --git a/pages/tokipona/7a.md b/pages/tokipona/7a.md index 9233c16..6fbd003 100644 --- a/pages/tokipona/7a.md +++ b/pages/tokipona/7a.md @@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ To learn how to adapt names into unofficial words, first you have to know how toki pona's phonology works. The language's words consist of a series of -syllables assembled under a (C)V(N) system. This means that each syllable +syllables assembled under a \(C\)V\(N\) system. This means that each syllable consists of an optional consonant, then a vowel, then a nasal (the "n" sound). In addition, the sequences "ji", "ti", "wo" and "wu" turn into "i", "si", "o" diff --git a/pages/tokipona/8.md b/pages/tokipona/8.md index 749d6b9..dea784f 100644 --- a/pages/tokipona/8.md +++ b/pages/tokipona/8.md @@ -4,18 +4,18 @@ The vocabulary for this page: -| word | meaning | derived from | -|-------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| -| kule | color, colorful | French "couleur" (color) | -| jelo | yellow (and its shades) | English "yellow" | -| laso | blue, green (and its shades) | Welsh "glas" (blue) | -| loje | red (and its shades) | Dutch "rooie" (red) | -| pimeja| black, dark | Finnish "pimeä" (dark) | -| walo | white, bright | Finnish "valko-" (white) | -| nasa | unusual, strange, crazy, drunk | Tok Pisin "nasau" (stupid) | -| jaki | dirty, disgusting, toxic | English "yucky" | -| moli | death, dying | Acadian French "mourir" (die) | -| unpa | sexual (or marital) relations | onomatopoeia | +| word | meaning | +|-------|----------------------------------| +| kule | color, colorful | +| jelo | yellow (and its shades) | +| laso | blue, green (and its shades) | +| loje | red (and its shades) | +| pimeja| black, dark | +| walo | white, bright | +| nasa | unusual, strange, crazy, drunk | +| jaki | dirty, disgusting, toxic | +| moli | death, dying | +| unpa | sexual (or marital) relations | ## Colors @@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ And try to translate the following sentences into toki pona. > %spoiler% > * I like the color red. -> * Give me the orange(-colored) juice. +> * Give me the orange (or orange-colored) juice. > * I like how your flowers look. > * I don't drink alcohol. > * Don't kill them! @@ -98,4 +98,4 @@ And try to translate the following sentences into toki pona. > * mi lon tomo loje. > * jan nasa li kute ala e mi. -[Next page](9.html) [Previous page](7.html) +[Previous page](7.html) [Top page](index.html) [Next page](9.html) diff --git a/pages/tokipona/9.md b/pages/tokipona/9.md index eda2813..4ecbb66 100644 --- a/pages/tokipona/9.md +++ b/pages/tokipona/9.md @@ -4,18 +4,18 @@ The vocabulary for this page: -| word | meaning | derived from | -|-------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| -| pi | "of" (groups adjectives) | Tok Pisin "bilong" (of) | -| la | "if/when" (introduces context) | Esperanto "la" (definite article)| -| luka | hand, arm | Serbo-Croatian "ruka" (arm) | -| linja | long flexible object, hair | Finnish "linja" (line) | -| palisa| long solid object, branch, stick | Serbo-Croatian "palica" (rod) | -| selo | outer form, shell, skin, boundary| Esperanto "ŝelo" (skin) | -| sijelo| body, physical state, torso | Serbo-Croatian "tijelo" (body) | -| len | cloth, clothes, layer of privacy | Acadian French "linge" (clothing)| -| lete | cold, raw | Acadian French "frette" (cold) | -| musi | entertaining, artistic, fun, game| Esperanto "amuzi" (have fun) | +| word | meaning | +|-------|----------------------------------| +| pi | "of" (groups adjectives) | +| la | "if/when" (introduces context) | +| luka | hand, arm | +| linja | long flexible object, hair | +| palisa| long solid object, branch, stick | +| selo | outer form, shell, skin, boundary| +| sijelo| body, physical state, torso | +| len | cloth, clothes, layer of privacy | +| lete | cold, raw | +| musi | entertaining, artistic, fun, game| Time to introduce two another particles in this language: "pi" and "la". @@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ For example: > %info% > This part of the document describes how certain toki pona courses differ in -> explaining certain ideas. +> explaining certain ideas, or how communities differ in using them. The official book, the "o kama sona e toki pona!" course and my personal style differ on how to place punctuation in sentences that use "la". @@ -73,10 +73,9 @@ punctuation. The online course doesn't use any punctuation. -I personally prefer using the comma after "la", but for the sake of -compatibility with other courses, no punctuation will be used. Since commas are -not used as actual grammatical features in written toki pona, it is possible to -vary their usage. +I personally prefer using the comma after "la" for aesthetic purposes, but in +this series, no punctuation will be used. Since commas are not used as actual +grammatical features in written toki pona, it is possible to vary their usage. ## Exercises @@ -86,7 +85,7 @@ Now, try to figure out the meaning of these sentences. * tomo ni la mi toki kepeken toki pona, mi toki kepeken toki Inli. * sina moku e soweli lete la ona li ike tawa pakala sina. * kalama musi ona li pona mute. -* +* sina kepeken ike e ilo la ona li pakala. And try to translate the following sentences into toki pona. @@ -94,7 +93,7 @@ And try to translate the following sentences into toki pona. * He is in the bar ("house of crazy water"). * The loud person ("person of large sounds") says weird things. * That blonde ("woman of white hair") is good-looking. -* +* If you don't talk to people, you won't have friends. Reveal answers @@ -103,14 +102,13 @@ And try to translate the following sentences into toki pona. > * In this house, I speak toki pona and English. > * If you eat raw meat, it will be bad for your body. > * Their music ("entertaining sounds") is very good. -> * +> * If you misuse ("use badly") the tools, they will break. > %spoiler% > * sewi li pimeja la o awen lon tomo. > * ona li lon tomo pi telo nasa. > * jan pi kalama suli li toki e ijo nasa. > * meli ni pi linja walo li pona lukin. -> * - -[Next page](10.html) [Previous page](8.html) +> * sina toki ala e jan la sina jo ala e jan pona. +[Previous page](8.html) [Top page](index.html) [Next page](10.html) diff --git a/pages/tokipona/index.md b/pages/tokipona/index.md index c9f5423..50c0cc8 100644 --- a/pages/tokipona/index.md +++ b/pages/tokipona/index.md @@ -7,26 +7,25 @@ about *toki pona*, a constructed language originally designed in 2001 and then gradually revised over the years by Sonja Lang. The language is designed around the ideas of minimalist design and simplifying -one's thoughts, with complicated ideas being broken into their basic components. +one's thoughts by breaking down complicated ideas into their basic components. +It only uses 120 "official words" (with a few additional ones being +sometimes used by the community), has an incredibly simple grammar and uses few +sounds that are hard to confuse. + As a result, the language is considered to be incredibly easy to learn, with some people claiming to be able to read it after only days and achieving fluency within a week or two. -With an official vocabulary of around 120 words (plus some new additional -words created in the community), a simple grammar and an easy-to-learn phonology, -learning toki pona is, in fact, a relatively simple challenge, even compared to -other simplified constructed languages, such as Esperanto. - However, with that simplicity also come limitations. Many words have multiple -meanings, and a lot of phrases or sentences are ambiguous without context. +meanings, and some phrases or sentences are ambiguous without context. Expressing many concepts and ideas in toki pona will require one to come up with their own phrases or rephrase them completely (which, as mentioned before, is part of the language's idea). -The language is also designed to be easy to use regardless of one's native -language. The sounds and syllable structure used in toki pona are distinct from -one another and common across many languages, whereas the vocabulary features -words borrowed from many languages across the world. +In addition, toki pona is also designed to be easy to use regardless of one's +native language. The sounds and syllable structure used in toki pona are +distinct from one another and common across many languages, whereas the +vocabulary features words borrowed from many languages across the world. # About this course @@ -37,32 +36,69 @@ Sonja Lang herself. It is not free, but it's a well-written book with lots of additional texts to read and it explains the language very well. Another useful resource is the online course ["o kama sona e toki -pona!"](http://tokipona.net/tp/janpije/okamasona.php) (learn -toki pona!) by Bryant Knight (aka "jan Pije"). It has some differences in how it -uses certain words, and the past versions of the course have attracted some -controversy, but it's also a well-made course. +pona!"](http://tokipona.net/tp/janpije/okamasona.php) (learn toki pona!) by +Bryant Knight (aka "jan Pije"). It has some differences in how it uses certain +words, and the past versions of the course have attracted some controversy over +their bigoted content, but it's also a well-made course. My goal here is to try and present a version that tries to account for the different ways people speak and write toki pona and the way it is being used -now. My personal style is mostly based on "pu", but with slight adjustments, but -other styles will be covered as well. +now. Some pages will include "Dialectal differences" sections, in which these +differences will be covered. The page numbered zero will provide basic info on the language's spelling and pronunciation, and each page past that will introduce 10 new words. +--- + ## Table of Contents + * [page 0 - spelling and pronunciation](0.html) + * [page 1 - basic sentences](1.html) + * [page 2 - adjectives](2.html) + * [page 3 - verbs and objects](3.html) + * [page 4 - oh no! more vocabulary](4.html) + * [page 5 - this and that](5.html) + * [page 6 - prepositions and locations](6.html) + * [page 7 - interjections, questions, commands and names](7.html) + * * [page 7a - more about making unofficial words](7a.html) + * [page 8 - colorful language](8.html) -* [page 9 - (WIP) complex adjectives and contexts](9.html) + +* [page 9 - complex adjectives and contexts](9.html) + * [page 10 - pre-verbs and time](10.html) -* [page 11 - (TODO) numbers](11.html) -* [page 12 - (TODO) the final countdown](12.html) -* [page x1 - (TODO) community additions](x1.html) + +* [page 11 - numbers](11.html) + +* [page 12 - the final countdown](12.html) + +--- + +* [page x1 - (extra) old and new words](x1.html) + +--- + +## Useful resources + +Apart from the above-mentioned book and courses, here are some good resources +and links for people who want to learn or use toki pona: + +* [tokipona.net](http://tokipona.net) (warning: if your "HTTPS Everywhere" addon + is set to "Encrypt All Sites Eligible", disable it for tokipona.net, or else + it will redirect you to an unrelated website) + +* [/r/tokipona subreddit](https://reddit.com/r/tokipona) + +* ["ma pona pi toki pona" Discord server](https://discord.gg/XKzj3ex) + +* [toki pona Telegram group](https://telegram.me/joinchat/BLVsYz92zHUp2h2TYp9kTA) + diff --git a/pages/tokipona/x1.md b/pages/tokipona/x1.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6bde130 --- /dev/null +++ b/pages/tokipona/x1.md @@ -0,0 +1,93 @@ +% toki pona extra page 1 - old and new words +% /dev/urandom +% april 2020 + +All the words that have been described in pages 1 through 12 are present in the +official toki pona book. However, there are some additional words that were +either used before and didn't appear in the book, or words that have been +created by the toki pona community after that. + +A more or less exhaustive list of all words in toki pona that are, or were, used +is the ["nimi ale +pona"](https://docs.google.com/document/d/10hP3kR7mFN0E6xW3U6fZyDf7xKEEvxssM96qLq4E0ms/edit) +document. + +This page, however, will describe all the words that, from my point of view, +seem somewhat common in online usage, as well as the way some of the official +120 words are alternatively used in the community. + +Of course, given that part of toki pona's idea is to reduce the number of words +and to remove unnecessary ideas, any such usage will have some controversy. I +will try and provide my own opinions on the words in this list. + +## Old words: kin, namako and oko + +Before the official toki pona book was published, there were certain words that +were commonly used, but had meanings that were too similar or unnecessary. But +instead of being removed, these words were added as synonyms to other words. + +The word "kin" is described as a synonym for "a", but whereas "a" is a more +generic expression of emotion, "kin" was used as an emphasis word similar to +"really" or "indeed". I believe that this meaning is covered very well by the +words "a" (as an emotional indicator) and "mute" (as a type of emphasis). + +The word "namako" was used to mean "addition" or "spice". In the official book, +it was listed as a synonym for "sin", the word meaning "new", "extra" or +"additional". While the two words do have somewhat separate meanings, I +personally think that "sin", especially when used as a noun or in a noun phrase +"sin moku" (food addition), can be used to express the same idea very well. + +The word "oko" is listed as a synonym for "lukin". When these were two separate +words, "oko" specifically meant "eye", whereas "lukin" meant "sight" or +"vision". Given how "kute" means both "hearing" and "ear", this seems to me like +the right call to make. + +## Direction + +While toki pona has words for "up", "down", "ahead" and "behind", it doesn't +have words for "left" or "right", instead just having one word for "side". + +Some people have invented phrases either based on the fact that most people +write with their right hand ("poka pi luka sitelen" = right, "poka pi luka +sitelen ala" = left), have their heart on the left side of their body ("poka +pilin" = left, "poka pilin ala" = right), write text from left to right ("poka +open" = left, "poka pini" = right). + +All of these, of course, are not 100% correct in all situations: there are +people who are left-handed, who have their heart on the right side of the body +(dextrocardia) or who write from right to left. (Though, to be fair, all the +major writing systems *for toki pona* -- the latin alphabet, sitelen pona and +sitelen sitelen -- are written left-to-right.) + +The "nimi ale pona" document instead lists two "post-pu" words that are supposed +to be more specific: "soto" for left and "te" for right. I personally think that +these words might be necessary in case there needs to be a distinction between +left and right, but in most cases, it's better to avoid using them. + +## Gender and sexuality + +There are words "mije" and "meli" that mean "male" and "female" respectively. +However, there are some people that either don't identify as male or female +personally, or were biologically born neither male nor female. + +The word "tonsi" was created to describe such people, or, in some context, trans +people or anyone in the LGBT community. + +In addition, the word "kule" (color) is sometimes given an additional meaning -- +sometimes "gender", sometimes "LGBT". At first, this might raise questions, such +as "what about 'people of color'?", but in the toki pona community, a person's +race or skin color is usually mentioned directly (e.g. "white person" is "jan pi +selo walo", "person of white skin"). + +## Joke words + +In addition, there are some words that were created as jokes by Sonja Lang +herself. In the "nimi ale pona" document, they're listed as "w.o.g. Sonja". The +most common is "kijetesantakalu", which refers to raccoons and other animals +from the Procyonidae family. + +Other such joke words include "mulapisu" for pizza and "yupekosi" for "to revise +your old work only to make it worse"; note that toki pona doesn't use the letter +"y" and therefore it's unknown how to actually pronounce this word. + +[Top page](index.html)