Personal pronouns
  | |
| Pronunciation | /mi/ |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Core (100% → )2022: Core (100%) |
| Book and era | nimi pu |
| Part of speech | Content word |
| Codepoint | U+F1934 |
  | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsi |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Core (100% → )2022: Core (100%) |
| Book and era | nimi pu |
| Part of speech | Content word |
| Codepoint | U+F195E |
  | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈo |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Core (100% ↗︎ )2022: Core (99%) |
| Book and era | nimi pu |
| Part of speech | Content word |
| Codepoint | U+F1946 |
The personal pronouns in Toki Pona are mi (first-person), sina (second-person), and ona (third-person). In terms of morphology and syntax, pronouns act the same as any other content word.
Etymology
The word mi is derived from Esperanto mi, itself from the third-person oblique pronoun in Romance and Germanic languages, and English me; sina from Finnish sinä, meaning "you";[1] and ona from Serbo-Croatian ona / она, meaning "she".[2]
Number
Pronouns are generally unmarked for number. They can be either singular or plural:
mimi
I/me
we/us
sinasina
you
you (plural)
onaona
it, she/her, he/him, singular they/them
they/them
If number must be specified, it can be added as a modifier:
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Possessives
When used as modifiers, personal pronouns almost always imply possession:
ijo miijo mi
my stuff
our stuff
ijo sinaijo sina
your stuff
ijo onaijo ona
their stuff
Distinction
Pronouns are not marked for gender. One can narrow down the referent of a pronoun by using any quality as a modifier.
ona jeloona jelo
the yellow one(s) of them
sina suli o!sina suli o!
Hey, the tall one(s) of you!
li dropping
If the subject of a sentence is only mi or only sina, the particle li, that would usually follow it, is dropped.
mi pona ijo mi li ponami pona. ijo mi li pona.
sina pona sina kin li ponasina pona. sina kin li pona.
mi en sina li ponami en sina li pona.
ona li ponaona li pona.
Other pronouns
The words ni ("this, that") and seme ("what") are also pronouns, as they stand in for a content word or phrase, but they are not personal pronouns. See also ona vs ni.
Nonstandard personal pronouns
| Pronunciation | /ˈi |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Not notable (1% → ) Most speakers don't understand this word.2022: Obscure (1%)
|
| Book and era | No book (pre-pu) |
| Part of speech | Content word |
In 2001, when Toki Pona was first published, the word iki was as a third-person pronoun used instead of ona. The word was derived from Georgian იბი (igi).[1] In March 2002, a poll was created in the Yahoo group asking whether iki should be changed as it was "too long and too similar to ike".[3] The proposals for replacing iki included i and ipi.
In a second poll in May 2002,[4] it was decided to change iki to ona.[5]
While these nonstandard pronouns are sometimes referenced for historical purposes,[citation needed] they don't actually see any noticable use beyond that.
Notes
- ↑ Similarly to other content words, mute is generally reserved for three or more individuals. If "we" refers to two people it is more common to use mi tu or just mi instead of mi mute.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Word Origins". tokipona.org. Archived from the original on 8 August 2002.
- ↑ jan inwin. nimi ale pona (2nd ed.). Google Sheets. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ↑ Unknown author (24 March 2002). New poll for tokipona. Toki Pona Forums.
- ↑ Unknown author (15 May 2002). New poll for tokipona. Toki Pona Forums.
- ↑ Unknown author (21 May 2002). Poll results for tokipona. Toki Pona Forums.