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(→‎Grammar: Added information about the historical use of o, specifically the distinction between optatives and imperatives. (Regular examples of o could be helpful for comparison, esp. from a later version of the same text; I also neglected to mention vocative o))
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{{Historical|article}}
{{Historical}}
During its development in the early 2000s, [[Toki Pona]] had major differences from its current, standard form. Various words and features changed and were added and removed. While a lot of information has been lost, since most of the activity at that time was on the unarchived IRC chatroom, there is still enough publicly accessible information to reconstruct early forms of Toki Pona.
During its development in the early 2000s, [[Toki Pona]] had major differences from its current, standard form. Various words and features changed and were added and removed. While a lot of information has been lost, since most of the activity at that time was on the unarchived IRC chatroom, there is still enough publicly accessible information to reconstruct early forms of Toki Pona.


==Phonology==
==Phonology==
The [[phonology]] has remained unchanged from its initial form. In July 2002, [[Toki Pona Forums]] user Viktoro proposed reducing Toki Pona to a three-[[vowel]] system; {{tok|[[jan Sonja]]}} had considered the idea and ultimately rejected it.<ref>{{cite web|author=vixcafe|date=2002-07-09|url=http://forums.tokipona.org/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=52|title=New lessons coming soon! / Trivocalic - Toki Pona Forums|website=Toki Pona Forums|access-date=2023-11-19}}</ref>
The [[phonology]] has remained unchanged from its initial form. There was a proposal in 2002 to reduce Toki Pona to a [[three-vowel system]], which was ultimately not implemented.<ref>{{cite web|author=vixcafe|date=2002-07-09|url=http://forums.tokipona.org/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=52|title=New lessons coming soon! / Trivocalic - Toki Pona Forums|website=Toki Pona Forums|access-date=2023-11-19}}</ref>


==Grammar==
==Grammar==
There have been several changes in the grammar of [[Toki Pona]] since its inception, most notably in the meanings and use of certain [[particles]].
{{Needs work|1=the words’ “en”, “kin” and *“kan” changed meanings (semantical and grammatical). we have this but it’s formatted awfully:
http://forums.tokipona.org/viewtopic.php?t=81}}

The most notable [[grammatical]] differences are the use of {{tp|[[en]]}} for almost every definition of English "[[and]]", and the use of {{tp|[[pi]]}} to mean "of". In current use, {{tp|en}} only separates multiple subjects, and {{tp|pi}} rebrackets a following multiword phrase as a modifier. {{tp|[[anu]]}} was historically used as a [[question]] marker, without being accompanied by {{tp|[[seme]]}} as is currently standard; see [[anu#History|{{tp|anu}} &sect; History]].


=== {{tp|en}} ===
=== {{tp|en}} ===
{{Main|en#History}}
Originally, [[en]] separated multiple modifiers that all applied to a single noun.<ref name="lesson5">{{cite web|author=Sonja Lang|title=Original lesson 5|date=c. 2001|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090821024459/http://bknight0.myweb.uga.edu/toki/about/lesson/tp5.html|website=jan Pije's site|urldate=2024-01-13}}</ref> It also served to separate the subjects of a sentence, but was originally restricted to a separating subjects that were only one word.<ref name="lesson5" /> There was no clear way to divide between subjects,<ref name="forums2002">{{cite web|url=http://forums.tokipona.org/viewtopic.php?p=206|title=the words "{{tok|en}}", "{{tok|kin}}" and "{{tok|kan}}"|author={{tok|[[jan Sonja]]}}|username=|date=2002-10-27|website=Toki Pona Forums|publisher=|access-date=2023-12-02|quote=}}</ref> so to accommodate subjects with multiple words Sonja proposed extending [[en]] to mark subjects by going before them.<ref name="corresp">{{cite web|author=Justin B. Rye and Sonja Lang|title=Correspondence|date=2002|url=http://forums.tokipona.org/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=21|website=forums.tokipona.org|urldate=2024-01-13}}</ref> In early works, before late 2002, it was used more freely to separate multiple objects and prepositional phrases.<ref name="religtext">{{cite web|title=Religious Texts|author=Sonja Lang|date=2002-09-03|url=https://archive.ph/yuYp1|website=tokipona.org|urldate=2024-01-14}}</ref> However, a reform proposed in October 2002 restricted [[en]] to dividing between the subjects of a sentence and no longer dividing modifiers, a system that became the standard use thereafter.<ref name="forums2002" /> This reform was accepted unanimously by the online community by 1 November 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.tokipona.org/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=17&p=220|title=Poll results for tokipona|website=Toki Pona Forums|author=tokipona@yahoogroups.com|date=2002-11-01|access-date=2023-10-10}}</ref>
In current use, {{tp|en}} only separates multiple subjects. It changed use several times before converging on the final system and was used for almost every definition of English "[[and]]".

====Original style====


{{Example
{{Example
|sona pona li sona sewi ala. [[iki]] li sona mute en ale.
|supa en ilo li nasa en sin.
|True intelligence is not to know elite things, but rather to know many things about everything.<ref name="proverbs">{{cite web|title=Toki Pona Proverbs|date=c. 2002-09-02|url=http://web.archive.bibalex.org/web/20020902200945/http://www.tokipona.org/lit-prov.php|author=Sonja Lang|website=tokipona.org|urldate=2024-01-13}}</ref>
|The table and the machine are strange and new.<ref name="lesson5">{{cite web|author=Sonja Lang|title=Original lesson 5|date=c. 2001|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090821024459/http://bknight0.myweb.uga.edu/toki/about/lesson/tp5.html|website=jan Pije's site|urldate=2024-01-13}}</ref>
}}

{{Example
|jan o pali e wile sina en lon sewi kon en lon ma.
|Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.<ref name="religtext" />
}}
}}


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|Both war and peace need to exist.<ref name="ircchat">{{cite web|title=Chat logs|author=Sonja Lang|date=2002-07-01|website=tokipona.nykta.org|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050204105252/http://tokipona.nytka.org/text/chat.html|urldate=2024-01-14}}</ref>
|Both war and peace need to exist.<ref name="ircchat">{{cite web|title=Chat logs|author=Sonja Lang|date=2002-07-01|website=tokipona.nykta.org|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050204105252/http://tokipona.nytka.org/text/chat.html|urldate=2024-01-14}}</ref>
}}
}}

{{Example
|ma ale li jo e toki wan en sama.
|And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.<ref name="religtext" />
}}

{{Example
|wile en tawa jo li nasa e lawa jan.
|Racing and hunting madden our minds.<ref name="religtext" />
}}

{{Example
|jan sewi Jawe li tu e suno en pimeja.
|God divided the light from the darkness.<ref name="religtext" />
|jan sewi [jan awen wawa epiku] li tu e suno en pimeja.}}



=== {{tp|li pi}} ===
=== {{tp|li pi}} ===
{{Main|li pi|{{tp|li pi}}}}
{{Main|li pi|{{tp|li pi}}}}
The previous usage of {{tok|[[pi]]}} to mean "of" could also be used with the predicate marker to mean "made of".{{citation needed|date=2024-01-01}}
Today, {{tp|pi}} rebrackets a following multiword phrase as a modifier. The previous usage of {{tok|[[pi]]}} to mean "of" could also be used with the predicate marker to mean "made of".{{citation needed|date=2024-01-01}}
{{Example|<nowiki>*</nowiki>tomo ni li pi kiwen.|This house is made out of stone.}}
{{Example|<nowiki>*</nowiki>tomo ni li pi kiwen.|This house is made out of stone.}}


=== {{tp|pi <var>X</var> en <var>Y</var>}} ===
=== {{tp|pi <var>X</var> en <var>Y</var>}} ===
{{Main|pi X en Y|{{tp|pi <var>X</var> en <var>Y</var>}}}}
{{Main|pi X en Y|{{tp|pi <var>X</var> en <var>Y</var>}}}}
This construction was (and sometimes still is) used to mean "of X and Y" or to list two adjectives. It is mostly replaced with just listing the adjectives now, although sometimes{{citation needed|date=2024-01-16|reason=when?}} that is ambiguous.
This construction was (and sometimes still is) used to mean "of X and Y" or to list two adjectives. It is mostly replaced with just listing the adjectives now, although sometimes{{when?|date=2024-01-16}} that is ambiguous.
{{Example|<nowiki>*</nowiki>len pi loje en laso|a red-and-blue shirt|len pi(loje en laso)}}
{{Example|<nowiki>*</nowiki>len pi loje en laso|a red-and-blue shirt|len pi(loje en laso)}}

=== {{tp|anu}} ===
{{Needs work|Provide an example|section}}
{{Main|anu#History}}
{{tp|[[anu]]}} was historically used as a [[question]] marker, without being accompanied by {{tp|[[seme]]}} as is currently standard.

=== ''o'' ===
{{Main|o#History}}
Some of the earliest Toki Pona texts feature an obsolete use of ''o.'' Placed before the subject of a sentence, ''o'' expressed the [[Glossary#optative|optative mood]] (used for wishes); before the predicate, it could only signal an [[Glossary#Imperative|imperative]] (used for commands). The following examples of optative sentences are taken from the earliest version of Toki Pona's Wikipedia page<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Toki_Pona&oldid=2842887</ref> (2004), but the vocabulary in the text suggests it was written in 2002.
{{Example|o nimi pi mi mute li kama suli!|May our name become important!}}{{Example|o jan li sona ala e toki pi jan ante.|May people not understand each other's languages.}}

''o'' stopped appearing before the subject early in the language's history.{{citation needed|date=2024-05-06}} Since then, the second sentence type with ''o'' (before the predicate) has subsumed the meaning of the former: the imperative and optative were merged.


==Lexicon==
==Lexicon==
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==External links==
==External links==
* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FFYmXCZM4sCateaRtopUK9wVjmWlYSwGQSh3HXOzgMI/edit?usp=sharing {{tok|toki pona majuna}}]
* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FFYmXCZM4sCateaRtopUK9wVjmWlYSwGQSh3HXOzgMI/edit?usp=sharing {{tok|toki pona majuna}}]
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[[Category:Historical| ]]
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[[Category:Historical]]
[[Category:Styles of Toki Pona]]
[[Category:Styles of Toki Pona]]

Revision as of 13:38, 6 May 2024

Caution: The subject of this article is historical information that is presented for completeness, and might not reflect current usage.

During its development in the early 2000s, Toki Pona had major differences from its current, standard form. Various words and features changed and were added and removed. While a lot of information has been lost, since most of the activity at that time was on the unarchived IRC chatroom, there is still enough publicly accessible information to reconstruct early forms of Toki Pona.

Phonology

The phonology has remained unchanged from its initial form. There was a proposal in 2002 to reduce Toki Pona to a three-vowel system, which was ultimately not implemented.[1]

Grammar

There have been several changes in the grammar of Toki Pona since its inception, most notably in the meanings and use of certain particles.

en

Main article: en § History

In current use, en only separates multiple subjects. It changed use several times before converging on the final system and was used for almost every definition of English "and".

supa en ilo li nasa en sin　

supa en ilo li nasa en sin.

The table and the machine are strange and new.[2]

en utala en utala ala li wile lon　

en utala en utala ala li wile lon.

Both war and peace need to exist.[3]

li pi

Main articles: li pi and [[:li pi]]

Today, pi rebrackets a following multiword phrase as a modifier. The previous usage of pi to mean "of" could also be used with the predicate marker to mean "made of".[citation needed]

tomo ni li pi kiwen　

*tomo ni li pi kiwen.

This house is made out of stone.

pi X en Y

Main articles: pi X en Y and [[:pi X en Y]]

This construction was (and sometimes still is) used to mean "of X and Y" or to list two adjectives. It is mostly replaced with just listing the adjectives now, although sometimes[when?] that is ambiguous.

len pi(loje en laso)

*len pi loje en laso

a red-and-blue shirt

anu

Under construction This section needs work:

Provide an example

If you know about this topic, you can help us by editing it. (See all)
Main article: anu § History

anu was historically used as a question marker, without being accompanied by seme as is currently standard.

o

Main article: o § History

Some of the earliest Toki Pona texts feature an obsolete use of o. Placed before the subject of a sentence, o expressed the optative mood (used for wishes); before the predicate, it could only signal an imperative (used for commands). The following examples of optative sentences are taken from the earliest version of Toki Pona's Wikipedia page[4] (2004), but the vocabulary in the text suggests it was written in 2002.

o nimi pi mi mute li kama suli!

o nimi pi mi mute li kama suli!

May our name become important!

o jan li sona ala e toki pi jan ante　

o jan li sona ala e toki pi jan ante.

May people not understand each other's languages.

o stopped appearing before the subject early in the language's history.[citation needed] Since then, the second sentence type with o (before the predicate) has subsumed the meaning of the former: the imperative and optative were merged.

Lexicon

Under construction This article needs work:

list nimisin used at that time (see section on the discussion page)

If you know about this topic, you can help us by editing it. (See all)

Many words currently falsely considered nimisin, are, in fact, not nimisin. Those include apeja, sutopatikuna, pata etc.

Some words (pu, esun, mani, pan, kiwen, ona) didn’t exist yet, though the two latter ones were added relatively early on. The word meaning “all” was spelled with i more often, this is a result of jan Pije’s course teaching it as such. Lastly, the words open & pini were used as preverbs a lot.

References

  1. ↑ vixcafe. (9 July 2002). "New lessons coming soon! / Trivocalic - Toki Pona Forums". Toki Pona Forums. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Sonja Lang. (11 June 2024). "Original lesson 5". jan Pije's site.
  3. ↑ Sonja Lang. (1 July 2002). "Chat logs". tokipona.nykta.org.
  4. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Toki_Pona&oldid=2842887

External links

Retrieved from "https://sona.pona.la/wiki/Historical_usage?oldid=16967"