Language replacement misconception
When first learning about Toki Pona, many people jump to the false conclusion that it is trying to replace other languages. This may result from hasty comparisons with Esperanto, especially its ideology of finvenkism, and Newspeak. In reality, Toki Pona is not intended, designed, or promoted as a replacement for other languages.
Tokiponists against finvenkism
On the whole, Toki Pona's speakers are not advocating for it to replace other languages. Few, if any, Tokiponists want everyone to "switch to Toki Pona".
In fact, many Tokiponists:
- Are conscious of linguistic rights, and want to prevent language death.
- Have raised concerns about the idea of raising native Toki Pona speakers.
- Take inherent issue with the idea of a Toki Pona nation.
- Have negative views on the sociopolitical effects of globalized languages (such as International English).
- Simply enjoy the community that Toki Pona has attracted, and are content with it being niche in the grand scheme of things.
It's not a contest
Toki Pona is not in direct "competition" with other languages, nor is it trying to be. It is much more experimental and constrained than natural languages. Thus, Toki Pona adds a bit of linguistic diversity to the world.
Many speakers are content with any perceived impracticalities of Toki Pona, because there will still be better-established languages to fall back upon.
It is generally agreed that you can say anything in Toki Pona, with enough practice at circumlocution and establishing context. This says nothing about whether everyone should do so, or whether doing so would be better than using other languages. Learning this way of speaking can provide unique new insights, but so can learning any language.
See also
- Frequently asked questions
- International auxiliary language — a constructed language meant to supplement other languages; Toki Pona was not even made to do this.
- Nineteen Eighty-Four — Toki Pona is not Newspeak, assuming such a language could even exist.