Prepositions: Difference between revisions
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A '''preposition''' is a type of [[content word]] used to express spatial or temporal relations or to mark various {{w|semantic role}}s.<ref>{{cite web|author=jan Juli|title=nasin toki pona: how to use prepositions|url=https://github.com/kilipan/nasin-toki#how-to-use-prepositions|website=GitHub|date=2022-09-23|access-date=2023-11-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=jan Kekan San|title=Prepositions and Context|url=https://mun.la/sona/preps.html|website=mun.la|access-dare=2023-11-16}}</ref> The phrase formed by a preposition together and the {{w|complement}} that follows it is called a '''prepositional phrase''' |
A '''preposition''' is a type of [[content word]] used to express spatial or temporal relations or to mark various {{w|semantic role}}s.<ref>{{cite web|author=jan Juli|title=nasin toki pona: how to use prepositions|url=https://github.com/kilipan/nasin-toki#how-to-use-prepositions|website=GitHub|date=2022-09-23|access-date=2023-11-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=jan Kekan San|title=Prepositions and Context|url=https://mun.la/sona/preps.html|website=mun.la|access-dare=2023-11-16}}</ref> The phrase formed by a preposition together and the {{w|complement}} that follows it is called a '''prepositional phrase'''. |
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==Function== |
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A prepositional phrase gives context to the predicate or subject of the sentence. They describe the location, cause, purpose, quality, or means of the action, actor, or acted-upon. [[Toki Pona]]'s prepositions are {{tp|[[kepeken]]}}, {{tp|[[lon]]}}, {{tp|[[sama]]}}, {{tp|[[tan]]}}, and {{tp|[[tawa]]}}. |
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{{Example |
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|mi sitelen e ni kepeken toki lili.<ref>{{cite web|author=jan pali pi lipu kule|title=tan suli lipu li seme?|website=lipu kule|url=https://lipukule.org/post/2021/01/24/tan-suli-lipu-li-seme/|urldate=2024-01-16|date=2021-01-24}}</ref> |
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|I wrote this <mark>by means of few words.</mark> |
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|mi sitelen e ni <mark>kepeken toki lili </mark>. |
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{{Example |
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|ilo ni li pona <mark>tan ni</mark>: ona li pakala ala.<ref>lipamanka, "ilo sitelen" (2021) ''kalama sin'' 3 https://wikisource.org/wiki/Kalama_sin/3.</ref> |
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|This tool is good because of this: it doesn't break. |
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|ilo ni li pona <mark>tan ni </mark>: ona li pakala ala. |
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Prepositions can be difficult to grasp for multiple reasons: these words have specific meanings depending on whether they are being used as prepositions or as [[transitive verb]]s. In terms of grammar, it is often ambiguous whether a word is being used as a preposition or as a simple [[modifier]]. |
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==Prepositions vs. transitive verbs== |
==Prepositions vs. transitive verbs== |
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|<mark>Because of</mark> your mistake, my food is gone! |
|<mark>Because of</mark> your mistake, my food is gone! |
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{{Example |
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|jan Puta li pana <mark>tawa mi</mark> e mi. ona li pana <mark>tawa mi</mark> e jan Sitata.<ref>Hermann Hesse (tr. jan Kala), ''jan Sitata'' (2022), https://wikisource.org/wiki/Jan_Sitata/lipu_nanpa_wan/jan_Kotama</ref> |
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|He has given me Siddhartha, myself.<ref>Hermann Hesse, ''Siddhartha'' (1922) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2499</ref> |
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|jan [P U T A] li pana <mark>tawa mi </mark> e mi. ona li pana <mark>tawa mi </mark> e jan [S I T A T A]. |
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Revision as of 07:01, 16 January 2024
A preposition is a type of content word used to express spatial or temporal relations or to mark various semantic roles.[1][2] The phrase formed by a preposition together and the complement that follows it is called a prepositional phrase.
Function
A prepositional phrase gives context to the predicate or subject of the sentence. They describe the location, cause, purpose, quality, or means of the action, actor, or acted-upon. Toki Pona's prepositions are kepeken, lon, sama, tan, and tawa.
mi sitelen e ni kepeken toki lili .mi sitelen e ni kepeken toki lili.[3]
I wrote this by means of few words.
ilo ni li pona tan ni : ona li pakala ala.ilo ni li pona tan ni: ona li pakala ala.[4]
This tool is good because of this: it doesn't break.
Prepositions vs. transitive verbs
In the sentence A li B e C, the subject A causes the direct object C to become C B.
So, in the sentence ona li tawa e telo, the subject ona causes the telo ("water") to become telo tawa ("going water"); the sentence translates as "They move the water".
In ona li tawa telo, the word tawa instead acts as a preposition. Given that tawa telo is a prepositional phrase meaning "toward water", this sentence translates as "They go to the water".
For another example:
kasi li lon ma alekasi li lon ma ale.
Plants exist at all of the land.
Plants are everywhere.
kasi li lon e ma alekasi li lon e ma ale.
Plants cause all the land to exist.
Plants created the Earth.
Modifiers
Like preverbs, prepositions are most often modified by a limited group of semiparticles.
ona li tawa ala teloona li tawa ala telo.
They don't go to the water.
Ambiguity
Because prepositions are not marked with any particle in standard Toki Pona, they are a bit ambiguous. For example, in ona li tawa telo, tawa telo can be taken as a prepositional phrase ("toward water"), or a noun phrase ("the going of water"; "fluid motion") if telo is taken as a modifier.
Word order
Some speakers limit prepositions to the end of a sentence, while some apply it freely.
This is an example of a free preposition placement:
waso lon telo li pilin musiwaso lon telo li pilin musi.
The ducklings in the pond are having fun.
However, this could also mean:
The existent water ducklings are having fun.
Using la, the preposition could be shifted to the start of the sentence.
tan pakala sina la moku mi li weka atan pakala sina la moku mi li weka a.
Because of your mistake, my food is gone!
jan [P U T A] li pana tawa mi e mi. ona li pana tawa mi e jan [S I T A T A].jan Puta li pana tawa mi e mi. ona li pana tawa mi e jan Sitata.[6]
He has given me Siddhartha, myself.[5]
Transitive prepositional phrases
Some speakers allow an entire prepositional phrase to be used as a transitive verb followed by e.
This can be thought of in the same way as a normal transitive verb. In the sentence A li prep B e C, the subject A causes the direct object C to become C prep B.
ona li tawa telo e wasoona li tawa telo e waso.
It moves birds to the liquid.
They sent a bird to the water.
mi tawa tomo pali nanpa luka tu tu pi kulupu [N O K A S I] e sina.mi tawa tomo pali nanpa luka tu tu pi kulupu Nokasi e sina.[7]
I will take you to Nokasi Corp. office number nine.
kasi li lon ma ale e kon ponakasi li lon ma ale e kon pona.
Plants cause good air to exist at all of the land.
Table of prepositions
Word | Sense | |||
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Preposition prep ijo |
Intransitive preposition li prep ijo |
Transitive verb li prep e ijo |
Transitive preposition li prep A e B | |
kepeken | using | to use | (controversial) see kepeken e | to make B use A |
lon | at/in/on | to exist at/in/on | to create | to make B be at/in/on A |
sama | like | to be like | to make alike | to liken B to A |
tan | from | to be/come from | (rare) to blame | to make B be/come from A |
tawa | toward | to go to | to move | to move B to A |
References
- ↑ jan Juli. (23 September 2022). "nasin toki pona: how to use prepositions". GitHub. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ↑ jan Kekan San. "Prepositions and Context". mun.la.
- ↑ jan pali pi lipu kule. (24 January 2021). "tan suli lipu li seme?". lipu kule.
- ↑ lipamanka, "ilo sitelen" (2021) kalama sin 3 https://wikisource.org/wiki/Kalama_sin/3.
- ↑ Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha (1922) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2499
- ↑ Hermann Hesse (tr. jan Kala), jan Sitata (2022), https://wikisource.org/wiki/Jan_Sitata/lipu_nanpa_wan/jan_Kotama
- ↑ jan Kepe, Nasi (utala pona: 2023) http://utala.pona.la/toki-en-lipu/lipu-suli/nasi.html.