Phonotactics: Difference between revisions

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[[Toki Pona]]'s '''{{wp|phonotactics}}''', or rules for putting sounds together, are well defined. Unlike its [[phonology]], knowing the phonotactics is not needed to speak the language orally. It is most useful for creating [[name]]s and {{tp|[[~~nimisin~~]]}}.

[[Toki Pona]]'s '''{{wp|phonotactics}}''', or rules for putting sounds together, are well defined. Unlike its [[phonology]], knowing the phonotactics is not needed to speak the language orally. It is most useful for creating [[name]]s and {{tp|[[nimi sin]]}}.

An *asterisk marks a sequence that is not allowed phonotactically.

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At least one other rule is often noted:

* '''No adjacent nasals.''' {{Indent|In sequences like {{tp|*anna}} and {{tp|*anma}}, the first syllable's coda {{tp|-n}} would {{wp|Assimilation (phonology)|assimilate}} to the second syllable's onset nasal: respectively {{tp|ana}} and {{tp|ama}}.<ref group="lower-alpha">Assimilation of coda {{tp|-n}} is also responsible for words like {{tp|anpa}} sometimes being pronounced like {{IPA|[ampa]}}, and words like {{tp|enko}} (an obscure {{tp|~~nimisin~~}}) being pronounced like {{IPA|[eŋko]}}.<br />As a result, coda {{tp|-n}} is sometimes defined as {{IPA|[m ~ n ~ ŋ]}}, unlike onset {{tp|n-}} which is strictly {{IPA|[n]}}.</ref>}}

* '''No adjacent nasals.''' {{Indent|In sequences like {{tp|*anna}} and {{tp|*anma}}, the first syllable's coda {{tp|-n}} would {{wp|Assimilation (phonology)|assimilate}} to the second syllable's onset nasal: respectively {{tp|ana}} and {{tp|ama}}.<ref group="lower-alpha">Assimilation of coda {{tp|-n}} is also responsible for words like {{tp|anpa}} sometimes being pronounced like {{IPA|[ampa]}}, and words like {{tp|enko}} (an obscure {{tp|nimi sin}}) being pronounced like {{IPA|[eŋko]}}.<br />As a result, coda {{tp|-n}} is sometimes defined as {{IPA|[m ~ n ~ ŋ]}}, unlike onset {{tp|n-}} which is strictly {{IPA|[n]}}.</ref>}}

==Palatalization==

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<center>^ <small>Word-initially</small></center>

</div>

'''{{tp|wuwojiti}}''' is a mnemonic for the disallowed syllables in [[Toki Pona]] phonotactics: {{tp|*wu}}, {{tp|*wo}}, {{tp|*ji}}, {{tp|*ti}}, and their equivalents with coda {{tp|-n}}. Some less common {{tp|~~nimisin~~}} flout this rule, often as a joke.

'''{{tp|wuwojiti}}''' is a mnemonic for the disallowed syllables in [[Toki Pona]] phonotactics: {{tp|*wu}}, {{tp|*wo}}, {{tp|*ji}}, {{tp|*ti}}, and their equivalents with coda {{tp|-n}}. Some less common {{tp|nimi sin}} flout this rule, often as a joke.

==Syllables==