Toki pona
The toki pona is a artificial language invented by the linguist and translator Canadian Sonja Elen Kisa and published for the first time in 2001 on Internet.
The word toki pona means “ good language, language of the good ”. The language is based on the philosophy of CAT and is characterized by the extreme simplicity of its phonology, its grammar and especially of its vocabulary, which makes it easy to learn.
The toki pona has 14 Phonème S and its vocabulary comprises only 118 words (and not one moreover: the official dictionary is intentionally fixed). However, following the example English BASIC, which counts 850 words, one is surprised relative expressivity which it authorizes.
Is very written into tiny (even after a point), except the “nonofficial” words which are used to name. Thus, my Elopa means Europe, literally: “European country”.
The toki pona account few speakers. There exists however a newsgroup on Yahoo, a channel IRC, like some Web pages containing of original works and the translations.
Although basic, the toki pona functions. With the dires of its creative, it is especially an experiment of minimization. The toki pona to date remains the artificial language most concise. Only the Earth Minimal (http://ebtx.com/lang/eminfrm.htm) approaches some with a vocabulary twice wider.
Names
The toki pona having a vocabulary particularly restricted, it resorts much to the made up words. Thus, all the names relating to people or trades start with jan , for example:
- jan utala = nobody + combat = soldier or warrior.
- jan pona = nobody + good = friendly
Modifiers
There are no adjectives themselves in toki pona. A word placed in second position can be regarded as a modifier of the first. As follows:
- jan utala (soldier) can be analyzed in “anybody fighting”.
- jan pona (friendly) can analyzed in “anybody good/positive”.
Conclusive, numeral and possessive ones always follow the other modifiers.
Pronouns
-
semi = I
- sina = you, you
- ona = it, it, they, they
The plural of semi can be indicated by adding transfers = several:
- semi transfers = us
These same pronouns indicate as well the possessive ones as the other cases:
- semi = I, me, me, with me
Syntax
The toki pona uses the order SVO and goes from vaguest to most precise.Except when the subject is semi or sina , subject and predicate are separated by the word Li . For example:
- jan Patrik Li lukin E sina = Patrick to see you (jan=personne; li=marque of the verb; e=cod)
The direct object is generally preceded by the word E . For example:
- semi lukin E sina = Me to see you.
The structure + modificateur1 + modificateur2 is analyzed like modificateur1) modificateur2. Thus, with jan pona = nobody good (friend or friend) and lukin = to see or look at, one can build:
- jan pona lukin = pona) lukin = a friend who looks at.
The insertion of the word pi makes it possible to break this implicit order and to modify the direction of the sentence consequently. As follows:
- jan pi pona lukin = (pona lukin) = nobody good to look at (beautiful or pretty person).
The word been able is a kind of comma used to avoid certain misinterpretations. Its use is however rejected by the official standard.
The principal syntactic features of the toki pona can be noted thus in wide BNF:
semi mama pi transfers O, sina lon sewi kon.
The Our Father in toki pona
External bonds
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