Historical usage: Difference between revisions

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==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}} § History]].

=== {{tp|en}} ===

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>

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]]".

{{Example

|sona pona li sona sewi ala. [[iki]] li sona mute en ale.

|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>

}}

{{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" />

}}

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" />

{{Example

|supa en ilo li nasa en sin.

|The table and the machine are strange and new.<ref name="lesson5" />

|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

|wile en tawa jo li nasa e lawa jan.

|Racing and hunting madden our minds.<ref name="religtext" />

}}

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>

{{Example

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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>

}}

In early works, before late 2002, it was used more freely to separate multiple objects and prepositional phrases.

{{Example

|jan sewi Jawe li tu e suno en pimeja.

|God divided the light from the darkness.<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>

|jan sewi [jan awen wawa epiku] li tu e suno en pimeja.

}}

{{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" />

}}

However, a reform proposed in October 2002 restricted [[en]] to dividing between the subjects of a sentence and no longer dividing modifiers.<ref name="forums2002" /> This reform was accepted unanimously by the online community by 1 November 2002 and became standard usage thereafter.<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>

=== {{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.}}

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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.

{{Example|<nowiki>*</nowiki>len pi loje en laso|a red-and-blue shirt|len pi(loje en laso)}}

=== {{tp|anu}} ===

{{tp|[[anu]]}} was historically used as a [[question]] marker, without being accompanied by {{tp|[[seme]]}} as is currently standard.

==Lexicon==