View source for Radicals in sitelen pona

{{tp title|sitelen pona}}
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In {{tp|[[sitelen pona]]}}, a '''radical''' is a recurring graphical component across multiple glyphs. The radical-based analysis was invented{{wh|date=2024-01-16|where? by whom?}} after the initial set of glyphs was published in {{pu|en}}.

Some of these elements were clearly intended, such as the ''emitters'' initially representing concepts relating to emission, the triangle shape representing [[color]]s, and the incorporation of {{tp|[[luka]]}} (the ''hand radical'') representing manual actions. Other proposed radicals may be coincidental or questionably meaningful, such as acknowledgments of shared glyph "etymologies". For example, markers of non-{{w|Declarative sentence|declarative}} sentences have been analyzed as having a ''punctuation stem radical'', but perhaps it is more direct to say that these glyphs are each based on Latin punctuation.

The term is taken from {{w|Radical (Chinese characters)|radicals}} of {{w|Chinese character}}s, which dictionaries use to sort words. This comparison has been disputed.{{citation needed}} While there have been attempts to group {{tp|sitelen pona}} glyphs by common features, there is no standard [[Collation of sitelen pona|collation]], and glyphs are most often sorted alphabetically by the words' {{tp|[[sitelen Lasina]]}} spellings. Radicals are more often used for shape-based [[input method]]s, comparable to {{w|Cangjie input method|Cangjie}}. In addition, not every {{tp|sitelen pona}} glyph is considered to contain a radical, and some have multiple that are considered with equal or unclear priority.

This analysis sometimes causes {{w|anachronism}} when discussing glyph origins. For example, the [[toki#sitelen pona|glyph]] for {{tp|[[toki]]}} appears to be derived from two radicals; in fact, it was derived from the [[Toki Pona logo]], which long predates {{tp|sitelen pona}} and the radical-based analysis thereof. In general, because radicals are a post-hoc classification, glyphs <em>comprised</em> of certain radicals might not be <em>derived</em> from them.

==History==
{{Needs work|2=section}}
In 2020, radicals were used as the basis of the {{tok|[[Wakalito]]}} input method.
{{Clear}}

==Table of radicals==
<!-- In the "Other" row, only add characters outside the Linku sandbox (>5% usage). -->
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2" | Description
! rowspan="2" | Shape
! colspan="2" | Examples
|-
! Glyphs in {{tp|pu}}
! Other
|-
! Arrow
| style="text-align:center;" | {{sp|ni}}
| {{sp|ni}} {{sp|nasin}} {{sp|tan}} {{sp|alasa}}
|
|-
! Arrowhead
| style="text-align: center;" | {{sp|li}}
| {{sp|li}} {{sp|e}} {{sp|lili}} {{sp|suli}} {{sp|ante}} {{sp|pan}}
| {{sp|meso2}}
|-
! Box (closed)
| style="text-align: center;" | {{sp|lipu}}
| {{sp|lipu}} {{sp|sitelen}} {{sp|sona}} {{sp|pakala}} {{sp|pu}} {{sp|len}}
| {{sp|ku}} {{sp|ju}} {{sp|lu}} {{sp|nu}} {{sp|su}} {{sp|u}}
|-
! Box (open)
| style="text-align: center;" | {{sp|poki}}
| {{sp|poki}} {{sp|anpa}} {{sp|insa}} {{sp|monsi}} {{sp|open}} {{sp|poka}} {{sp|sinpin}}
| {{sp|sewi2}}
|-
! Circle (thing)
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | {{sp|ijo}}
| {{sp|ijo}} {{sp|kulupu}} {{sp|toki}} {{sp|pali}}
| {{sp|kokosila1}} {{sp|linluwi4}} {{sp|apeja}}
|-
! Circle (head)
| {{sp|jan}} {{sp|jo}} {{sp|lape}} {{sp|lawa}} {{sp|mama}} {{sp|mani}} {{sp|meli}} {{sp|mije}}{{sp|moli}} {{sp|mu}} {{sp|wawa}}
| {{sp|lanpan1}}
|-
! Cross
| style="text-align: center;" |  {{sp|ala}}
| {{sp|ala}} {{sp|en}} {{sp|ma}} {{sp|moli}} {{sp|nanpa}} {{sp|pimeja}} {{sp|utala}}
| {{sp|powe}} {{sp|kapesi}} {{sp|kapesi2}}
|-
! Dot (location)
| rowspan="4" style="text-align: center;" | {{sp|&#xF1C8B;}}
| {{sp|anpa}} {{sp|insa}} {{sp|lon}} {{sp|monsi}} {{sp|poka}} {{sp|sinpin}}
| {{sp|sewi2}} {{sp|kipisi}} {{sp|lanpan}} {{sp|meso}} {{sp|meso2}}
|-
! Dot (disambiguator)
| {{sp|seli}} {{sp|uta}}
|
|-
! Dot (o-mouth)
| {{sp|mu}} {{sp|suwi}}
| 
|-
! Dots (eyes)
| {{sp|akesi}} {{sp|lukin}} {{sp|pipi}} {{sp|soweli}} {{sp|waso}}
| {{sp|kala2}} {{sp|kijetesantakalu}} {{sp|oko}} {{sp|misa}} {{sp|misa2}} {{sp|misa3}} {{sp|misa4}} {{sp|misa5}} {{sp|misa6}} {{sp|wasoweli}} {{sp|jonke}} {{sp|owe}} {{sp|sutopatikuna}}
|-
! Emitters
| style="text-align: center;" |  {{sp|&#xF1C8D;}}
| {{sp|kalama}} {{sp|pana}} {{sp|seli}} {{sp|sin}} {{sp|sona}} {{sp|toki}}
| {{sp|kokosila}} {{sp|namako1}} {{sp|namako2}} {{sp|olin2}} {{sp|majuna2}} {{sp|majuna1}} {{sp|lanpan3}} {{sp|isipin}} {{sp|kulijo}} {{sp|linluwi2}} {{sp|usawi}} {{sp|jonke}} {{sp|omekapo}}
|-
! Hammer
| style="text-align: center;" | {{sp|ilo}}
| {{sp|ilo}} {{sp|kepeken}}
|
|-
! Hand (flat)
| style="text-align: center;" | {{sp|luka}}
| {{sp|luka}} {{sp|kepeken}} {{sp|moku}} {{sp|pali}} {{sp|pana}}
|
|-
! Hand (pointing)
|style="text-align:center;"|{{sp|sina}}
| {{sp|mi}} {{sp|sina}} {{sp|ona}}
|
|-
! Heart
| style="text-align: center;" | {{sp|pilin}}
| {{sp|pilin}} {{sp|olin}}
| {{sp|wile2}} {{sp|melome}} {{sp|mijomi}}
|-
! Mouth (closed)
| style="text-align: center;" | {{sp|pona}}
| {{sp|pona}}{{sp|ike}}
| {{sp|epiku2}}
|-
! Mouth (open)
| style="text-align: center;" | {{sp|uta2}}
| {{sp|kalama}} {{sp|moku}} {{sp|uta}}
| {{sp|uta2}}
|-
! Legs
| style="text-align: center;" | {{sp|tawa}}
| {{sp|kama}} {{sp|tawa}} {{sp|awen}}
|
|-
! Punctuation stem
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | {{sp|&#xF1C99;}}
| {{sp|a}} {{sp|o}} {{sp|seme}}
| {{sp|kin}} {{sp|n}} {{sp|wa}} {{sp|je}}
|-
! Tally mark
| {{sp|wan}} {{sp|tu}} {{sp|mute}} {{sp|nanpa}}
| {{sp|san}}
|-
! Triangle (color)
| style="text-align: center;" | {{sp|&#xF1C97;}}
| {{sp|jelo}} {{sp|kule}} {{sp|laso}} {{sp|loje}} {{sp|pimeja}} {{sp|walo}}
| {{sp|unu}} {{sp|kapesi}} {{sp|kapesi2}}
|-
! Wavy line
| style="text-align: center;" | {{sp|linja}}
| {{sp|linja}} {{sp|kon}} {{sp|telo}}
| {{sp|jasima}} {{sp|linluwi}} {{sp|linluwi2}}
|}

{|class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" | Glyphs without any accepted radical
|-
! Glyph in {{tp|pu}}
! other
|-
| {{sp|ale}} {{sp|anu}} {{sp|esun}} {{sp|jaki}} {{sp|kala}} {{sp|kasi}} {{sp|ken}} {{sp|kili}} {{sp|kiwen}} {{sp|ko}} {{sp|kute}} {{sp|la}} {{sp|lete}} {{sp|lupa}} {{sp|mun}} {{sp|musi}} {{sp|nasa}} {{sp|nena}} {{sp|nimi}} {{sp|noka}} {{sp|palisa}} {{sp|pi}} {{sp|pini}} {{sp|sama}} {{sp|selo}} {{sp|sewi}} {{sp|sijelo}} {{sp|sike}} {{sp|supa}} {{sp|taso}} {{sp|tenpo}} {{sp|tomo}} {{sp|unpa}} {{sp|weka}} {{sp|wile}}
| {{sp|leko}} {{sp|misikeke}} {{sp|misikeke2}} {{sp|monsuta}} {{sp|soko1}} {{sp|soko2}} {{sp|soko3}} {{sp|tonsi}} {{sp|kiki1}} {{sp|kiki2}} {{sp|kiki3}} {{sp|kiki4}}
|}
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[[Category:sitelen pona]]