Preverbs: Difference between revisions
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{{Wikipedia|preverb|preverbs}} |
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== Function of peverbs == |
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A '''preverb'''<ref group="lower-alpha">Also '''pre-verb''', '''auxiliary verb''', '''auxverb''', '''helper verb'''.</ref> is a type of [[content word]] that may precede the main [[verb]] of a [[sentence]]. Preverbs generally make distinctions in {{w|grammatical mood}} or {{w|Grammatical aspect|aspect}}, and they are often compared to {{w|auxiliary verb}}s in European languages. |
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A preverb can precede the main verb of a toki pona sentence to modify its meaning. |
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When used as a preverb, a word can have a different sense than it would elsewhere in the sentence. For example, in {{tp|mi ken pali e ona}}, {{tp|[[ken]]}} is a preverb. It means "I am able to make it". However, in {{tp|mi ken e ona}}, {{tp|ken}} is the main verb instead. There, it means something else ("I allow it"). |
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How to use preverbs: put them before the verb. |
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==Stacking== |
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example: mi wile moku e kili - I want to eat a fruit |
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Preverbs may be stacked to convey more complex meanings. |
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{{Example |
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you may stack preverbs: |
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|mi <mark>kama wile</mark> moku. |
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|I <mark>come to need</mark> to eat.<br/> |
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I got hungry. / I'm getting hungry. |
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|mi<mark>kama wile</mark>moku |
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}} |
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{{Example |
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|jan li <mark>open wile lukin kama sona</mark> toki pona. |
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|People <mark>start to want to try to come to know</mark> (how) to speak well. |
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|jan li<mark>open wile lukin kama sona</mark>toki pona |
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}} |
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{{Example |
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|1=mi <mark>ken kama</mark> sona e ni: <span style="opacity:0.5;">…</span> |
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|2=I <mark>can come</mark> to know this: <span style="opacity:0.5;">…</span><ref>{{cite web|title=nasin tenpo pi kamalawala Kanse|author=jan Peton|date=2022-06-14|url=https://lipukule.org/post/2022/06/14/nasin-tenpo-pi-kamalawala-kanse/|website=lipu kule}}</ref> |
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|3=mi<mark>ken kama</mark>sona e ni2{{idsp}}<span style="opacity:0.5;">ijo ijo ijo</span> |
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}} |
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==Modifiers== |
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mi pini alasa moku e kili suli - I finish trying to eat a huge fruit |
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Preverbs can also be [[modifier|modified]]. In standard usage, only {{tp|[[ala]]}} is able to modify preverbs. |
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{{Example |
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in order to negate preverbs, put ala after them: |
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|ona li <mark>wile ala</mark> sona. |
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|They <mark>don't want</mark> to know. |
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}} |
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Adding {{tp|a}} after a preverb is possible. Some might see this as modification. |
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mi wile ala moku e kili - I don't want to eat the fruit |
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{{Example |
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=== Preverbs defined in pu: === |
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|ona li <mark>wile a</mark> sona. |
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wile - when you wanna do something |
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|They <mark>want</mark> to know. (emphasis on "want") |
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}} |
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{{Start section|Nonstandard}} |
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sona - when you know how to do something |
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Outside of standard usage, some users include more semiparticles and even some content words to modify preverbs. |
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{{Example|ona li <mark>wile kin</mark> sona.|They <mark>also want</mark> to know. ("also" modifies "want", not "they")}} |
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awen - when you continue doing something |
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{{Example|ona li <mark>wile taso</mark> sona.|They <mark>just want</mark> to know.}} |
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{{Example|ona li <mark>wile lili</mark> sona.|They <mark>somewhat want</mark> to know.}} |
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{{Example|ona li <mark>wile mute</mark> sona.|They <mark>really want</mark> to know.}} |
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{{End section}} |
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==Ambiguity== |
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kama - when you're coming to do something |
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In standard Toki Pona, preverbs are not marked with any [[particle]]. For nonstandard styles, see [[Preverb marking]]. |
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Like [[preposition]]s, this makes preverbs a bit ambiguous. For example, {{tp|mi kama wawa}} can mean "I became strong" if {{tp|kama}} is a preverb and {{tp|wawa}} ("to be strong") is the main verb. Or, it can mean "I intensely arrived" if {{tp|kama}} is the main verb and {{tp|wawa}} is a modifier. |
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ken - when you have the ability to do something |
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==Questions== |
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lukin - when you try to do something |
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In <var>A</var> {{tp|ala}} <var>A</var> [[question]]s, the preverb may be the repeated word. |
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{{Example |
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=== Preverbs not in pu but in common usage === |
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|sina <mark>wile ala wile</mark> sona? |
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open - when you start doing something |
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|<mark>Do you want</mark> to know? |
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pini - when you finish doing something |
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|sina <mark>wile ala wile</mark> sona}} |
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alasa - when you try to do something |
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== |
==List of preverbs== |
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{|class="wikitable sortable" width="100%" |
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olin - when you love doing something |
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! Usage |
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pakala - when you mess up something |
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! Word |
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pake - when you stop doing something (more direct than pini) |
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! Preverb sense |
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! Notes |
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|- |
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! rowspan="6" | {{tp|pu}}<ref>{{cite pu}}</ref> |
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| {{tp|[[awen]]}} |
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| |
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to continue <span style="opacity:0.5;">to…</span><br/> |
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to keep <span style="opacity:0.5;">…ing</span><br/> |
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to stay <span style="opacity:0.5;">…</span> |
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| |
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|- |
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|{{tp|[[kama]]}} |
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| |
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to come <span style="opacity:0.5;">to…</span><br/> |
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to become <span style="opacity:0.5;">…</span> |
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| Expresses a change of state: going from not doing or being something, to doing or being it. |
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|- |
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|{{tp|[[ken]]}} |
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| |
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to be able <span style="opacity:0.5;">to…</span><br/> |
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can <span style="opacity:0.5;">…</span> |
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|- |
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|{{tp|[[sona]]}} |
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|to know <span style="opacity:0.5;">(how) to…</span> |
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| |
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|- |
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|{{tp|[[wile]]}} |
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| |
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to want <span style="opacity:0.5;">to…</span></br> |
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to need <span style="opacity:0.5;">to…</span> |
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| "To need to…" is also commonly expressed with the word {{tp|[[o]]}}. |
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|- |
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|{{tp|[[lukin]]}} |
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| rowspan="2" | to try <span style="opacity:0.5;">to…</span><br/> |
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to try <span style="opacity:0.5;">…ing</span> |
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|[[Cognate]] with English "looking <span style="opacity:0.5;">to…</span>" |
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|- |
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! Common |
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| {{tp|[[alasa]]}}<ref name="ku9">{{cite ku|9}}</ref> |
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|- |
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! rowspan="2" | Uncommon |
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| {{tp|[[open]]}}<ref name="ku9"/> |
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| |
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to start <span style="opacity:0.5;">to…</span><br/> |
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to start <span style="opacity:0.5;">…ing</span> |
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| As a preverb, {{tp|open}} has a large overlap in meaning with {{tp|kama}}. |
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|- |
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| {{tp|[[pini]]}}<ref name="ku9"/> |
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| to finish <span style="opacity:0.5;">…ing</span> |
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| |
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|} |
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Note that while {{tp|[[tawa]]}} got described as a preverb by one source<ref name="ku9"/>, it is very rare. [[Prepositions|Prepositional]] use of {{tp|tawa}} (including the transitive prepositional phrases) also sometimes gets misattributed to preverb usage. |
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=== Preverb kama === |
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The pre-verb kama is used when you change from a state where you aren't something or don't do something, to a state where you are or do something. For example: |
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Other words have been proposed or are found as preverbs in minority usage, but will not always be understood. |
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mi kama jo e ilo ≈ I didn't have the tool, and then I did → I acquired / obtained the tool, I came into possession of the tool |
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mi kama sona e ijo ≈ I didn't know something, and then I did → I learned something, I found out something (or: I'm learning something) |
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==Notes== |
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mi kama loje ≈ I wasn't red, and then I was → I became red, I reddened (e.g. I started blushing) |
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<references group="lower-alpha"/> |
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mi kama lon ≈ I wasn't there, and then I was → I appeared, I came into existence |
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mi kama wile moku ≈ I didn't want to eat, and then I did → I got hungry (or: I'm getting hungry) |
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==References== |
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<references/> |
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{{Words}} |
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[[Category:Parts of speech]] |
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[[Category:Preverbs| ]] |
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Latest revision as of 15:52, 29 June 2024
A preverb[a] is a type of content word that may precede the main verb of a sentence. Preverbs generally make distinctions in grammatical mood or aspect, and they are often compared to auxiliary verbs in European languages.
When used as a preverb, a word can have a different sense than it would elsewhere in the sentence. For example, in mi ken pali e ona, ken is a preverb. It means "I am able to make it". However, in mi ken e ona, ken is the main verb instead. There, it means something else ("I allow it").
Stacking[edit | edit source]
Preverbs may be stacked to convey more complex meanings.
mikama wilemokumi kama wile moku.
I come to need to eat.
I got hungry. / I'm getting hungry.
jan liopen wile lukin kama sonatoki ponajan li open wile lukin kama sona toki pona.
People start to want to try to come to know (how) to speak well.
miken kamasona e ni2 ijo ijo ijomi ken kama sona e ni: …
I can come to know this: …[1]
Modifiers[edit | edit source]
Preverbs can also be modified. In standard usage, only ala is able to modify preverbs.
ona li wile ala sonaona li wile ala sona.
They don't want to know.
Adding a after a preverb is possible. Some might see this as modification.
ona li wile a sonaona li wile a sona.
They want to know. (emphasis on "want")
Outside of standard usage, some users include more semiparticles and even some content words to modify preverbs.
ona li wile kin sonaona li wile kin sona.
They also want to know. ("also" modifies "want", not "they")
ona li wile taso sonaona li wile taso sona.
They just want to know.
ona li wile lili sonaona li wile lili sona.
They somewhat want to know.
ona li wile mute sonaona li wile mute sona.
They really want to know.
Ambiguity[edit | edit source]
In standard Toki Pona, preverbs are not marked with any particle. For nonstandard styles, see Preverb marking.
Like prepositions, this makes preverbs a bit ambiguous. For example, mi kama wawa can mean "I became strong" if kama is a preverb and wawa ("to be strong") is the main verb. Or, it can mean "I intensely arrived" if kama is the main verb and wawa is a modifier.
Questions[edit | edit source]
In A ala A questions, the preverb may be the repeated word.
sina wile ala wile sonasina wile ala wile sona?
Do you want to know?
List of preverbs[edit | edit source]
| Usage | Word | Preverb sense | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| pu[2] | awen |
to continue to… |
|
| kama |
to come to… |
Expresses a change of state: going from not doing or being something, to doing or being it. | |
| ken |
to be able to… | ||
| sona | to know (how) to… | ||
| wile |
to want to… |
"To need to…" is also commonly expressed with the word o. | |
| lukin | to try to… to try …ing |
Cognate with English "looking to…" | |
| Common | alasa[3] | ||
| Uncommon | open[3] |
to start to… |
As a preverb, open has a large overlap in meaning with kama. |
| pini[3] | to finish …ing |
Note that while tawa got described as a preverb by one source[3], it is very rare. Prepositional use of tawa (including the transitive prepositional phrases) also sometimes gets misattributed to preverb usage.
Other words have been proposed or are found as preverbs in minority usage, but will not always be understood.
Notes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Also pre-verb, auxiliary verb, auxverb, helper verb.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ jan Peton. (14 June 2022). "nasin tenpo pi kamalawala Kanse". lipu kule.
- ↑ Lang, Sonja. (25 May 2014). Toki Pona: The Language of Good. Tawhid. ISBN 978-0978292300. OCLC 921253340.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lang, Sonja. (18 July 2021). Toki Pona Dictionary. Illustrated by Vacon Sartirani. Tawhid. ISBN 978-0978292362. p. 9.