ilo Tani’s Semantic Space Dictionary
This is a semantic space dictionary that I’m currently working on. I tried not to read lipamanka’s dictionary while writing this so that I would record my own ideas. Nonetheless, some of the things here have definitely been influenced by what I’ve read from it in the past.
a
a has two uses: an interjection and an emphatic particle. As an interjection, it’s very broad; it can indicate a pause for thought, understanding when learning something, astonishment at a fact, and more. As an emphatic particle, it’s narrower, emphasizing the phrase that it’s placed after, or the entire sentence if it’s at the end.
akesi
akesi are
ala
alasa
ale
anpa
anpa refers to lowness, and the anpa of something is the area and stuff below it; to be lon anpa supa is to be below a table, and to be lon tomo anpa is to be in a basement.
Toki Pona draws a conceptual metaphor between physical lowness and lowness in status or ranking. If I win a race, I anpa e the other contestants. In a capitalist society, the workers in a company are anpa to the capitalist.
ante
ante is about differences. If something is ante, there’s something about it that’s different from some other thing that I’m talking about. That difference could be between an object today and the same object yesterday, or it could be between an object in my left hand and my right hand.
anu
awen
awen is about fixedness and stability. This can mean physically fixed; if I’m standing or sitting in place, then I’m awen. It can also mean fixed in a particular state. If I’m currently writing a book, wanting to awen doing so means continuing to write.
awen may refer to protection. Billionaires tend to awen e the system that allowed them to gain their wealth. The walls of a city awen e the city, and people tend to want to awen e their friends.
esun
esun deals with exchange.
ijo
ike
ilo
An ilo is something used to accomplish something else. A spoon is an ilo because it’s typically used to scoop up food. A phone is ilo because it’s used to communicate (among many other things).
insa
jaki
jan
jelo
jo
kala
kalama
kama
kasi
ken
ken talks about possibility, ability, and permission. If something is ken, then it’s possible or allowed. If I ken e an action, I’m allowing it or otherwise making it possible.
kepeken
kijetesantakalu
kili
kili refers to the edible part of a plant, including fruits and vegetables like cranberries, beans, carrots, and durian.
Some speakers only use kili to refer to edible parts with substantial volume, like tubers, fruits, and some seeds. Others will also use kili to refer to edible leaves and stems like lettuce, celery, and spinach. Others will use kasi to describe these parts of a plant instead.
kin
kipisi
kiwen
ko
kon
kon refers to air, as well as other invisible things like ghosts. A cloud is a kind of kon, (is this true? maybe it is ko because it looks like ko)
kon is also often used to refer to the meaning of a word. I don’t know why maybe I’ll add something here at some point
kule
kulupu
kute
la
lape
laso
lawa
leko
len
lete
lili
linja
lipu
The prototypical lipu is a sheet of paper that records some information. lipu refers to flat, bendable objects, like sheets of paper, leaves, and pancakes. lipu also refers to documents that record information, like books, blog posts, and academic articles.
loje
lon
luka
lukin
lupa
ma
mama
mani
meli
mi
mije
misikeke
moku
moli
monsi
monsuta
mu
mun
musi
mute
mute talks about quantities. If something is mute, it is numerous; jan mute refers to “many people.” As a noun, it refers to quantities; mute jan refers to a “quantity of people.”
n
Unlike other words in Toki Pona, n is exclusively appears as a standalone interjection, indicating hesitation.
namako
nanpa
nanpa describes numbers. This is not to be confused with mute, which describes quantities! A zip code, a phone number, my placement in a game of Mario Party, and a chess Elo are nanpa, but the number of birds in a field is a mute.
nanpa can be used to refer to some fields of math like high school algebra and number theory, although it might not describe other fields like set theory and topology very well.
nasa
nasin
With nasin, Toki Pona draws a conceptual metaphor paths, directions, and methods. Physically, nasin can refer to sidewalks, train tracks, roads, and rivers. If I point anywhere, the direction in which I’m pointing is a nasin. Instructions to assembly IKEA furniture are nasin. Ways of life like veganism and Islam are nasin. Systems like the grammar of a language and socialism are nasin.