Acronyms

This subject is nonstandard and may not be understood by most speakers.

A few acronyms and initialisms for common phrases have seen use. They are sometimes resisted for concerns of lexicalizing the underlying phrases.

A

alp

ale li pona ("all is well", "life is good", "don't worry")

J

j-

jan (headnoun)

L

lp

1. luka pona (sign language)
2. linja pona (font)

ls

linja sike (font)

M

mpptp

ma pona pi toki pona (Discord server)

msa

mi sona ala ("idk", "I don't know")

S

sp

sitelen pona (writing system by jan Sonja)

spp

sitelen pona pona (writing system)

spt

sitelen pona taso ("Sitelen Pona only")

sptp

suno pi toki pona (event)

ss

sitelen sitelen, sitelen suwi (writing system)

T

tp

toki pona

tpt

toki pona taso ("Toki Pona only")

Substitute letters

See also: Informal sitelenponization of sitelen Lasina

Some speakers use non–sitelen Lasina letters to stand in for sitelen pona glyphs. Examples include x for ala, к (ka) for ken, ρ (rho) for mi, and Y? for anu seme. Thus, msa (mi sona-ala) could become msx or ρsx.

Single-use

Many single-use backronyms are created in the game Acrophobia (commonly musi Ako).

In sitelen pona, names are read as acronyms of the words written in a cartouche.

nimi sin

Acronyms and initialisms have also been used to coin some nimi sin, sorted here by recognition in 2022:

Rare

omekapo

o moku e kala pona

Obscure

kuntu

kalama musi tan uta

peto

pana e telo oko

omen

o moli e mi

kutopoma

kulupu pi toki pona pi ma Anku

See also

• Abbreviations