User:JanLepeka/Colors

The subject of this article is nonstandard and will not be understood by most speakers.

If you are a learner, this information will not help you speak the language. It is recommended to familiarize yourself with the standard style, and to be informed and selective about which nonstandard styles you adopt.

nasin nasa pi nimi kule pi jan Lepeka pi nimi pu

On February 21, 2024, I posted this on Reddit. It was pointed out that this could be considered lexicalization, which could be considered a greater sin than nimisin.

Color is important to me.
kule li suli tawa mi.
kule li suli tawa mi

Toki Pona has few words for color.
toki pona li jo e nimi kule lili.
toki pona li jo e nimi kule lili

I want to talk about many colors.
mi wile toki pi kule mute.
mi wile toki pi kule mute

Many people do not like nimisin.
nimi sin li ike tawa jan mute.
nimi sin li ike tawa jan mute

If I make nimisin people will not like that.
mi pali e nimi sin la ni li ike tawa jan mute.
mi pali e nimi sin la ni li ike tawa jan mute

I will not make nimisin.
mi pali ala e nimi sin.
mi pali ala e nimi sin

I will keep pimeja and walo.
mi awen e nimi "pimeja" e nimi "walo".
mi awen e nimi te pimeja to e nimi te walo to

I will remove loje, jelo, and laso.
mi weka e nimi "loje" e nimi "jelo" e nimi "laso".
mi weka e nimi te loje to e nimi te jelo to e nimi te laso to

I will use kule with other pu words to talk about many colors.
mi toki pi kule mute la mi kepeken e nimi "kule" e nimi pu ante.
mi toki pi kule mute la mi kepeken e nimi te kule to e nimi pu ante

pimeja	pimeja	pimeja	black
kule ma	kule ma	kule+ma	brown
kule uta	kule uta	kule+uta	red
kule kili	kule kili	kule+kili	orange
kule suno	kule suno	kule+suno	yellow
kule kasi	kule kasi	kule+kasi	green
kule sewi	kule sewi	kule+sewi	cyan
kule telo	kule telo	kule+telo	blue
kule mun	kule mun	kule+mun	purple
kule pilin	kule pilin	kule+pilin	magenta
walo pimeja	walo pimeja	walo+pimeja	gray
walo	walo	walo	white

nasin nasa pi nimi kule pi jan Lepeka pi nimi sin

So I went back on my word (pun intended) and created some nimisin anyway to use alongside existing words for colors including several nimisin. The words kulaso (green) and pulaso (blue) are attempts to legitimize the early joke words glaso and blaso through conformity to toki pona phonotactics, and the word sulaso (cyan) is an extension. (That they start with pu, ku, and su as in the books is a coincidence.) Finally masenta is a borrowing of magenta.

pimeja	pimeja	black
kapesi	kapesi	brown
loje	loje	red
nalanja	nalanja	orange
jelo	jelo	yellow
kulaso (see also peta)	kulaso	green
sulaso	sulaso	cyan
pulaso	pulaso	blue
unu	unu	purple
masenta	masenta	magenta
walo pimeja	walo+pimeja	gray
walo	walo	white