kala
Pronunciation | /ˈka |
---|---|
Usage | 2023: Core (99% → )2022: Core (99%) |
Book and era | nimi pu |
Part of speech | Content word |
Codepoint | U+F1914 |
Part of a series on |
Core words |
Widespread words |
Nonstandard animal words |
kala is a core content word relating to aquatic animals.
Etymology[edit | edit source]
The word kala is derived from Finnish kala, meaning "fish".[1]
Semantic space[edit | edit source]
The semantic space of kala includes aquatic and semiaquatic animals, including fish and all other creatures that tend to swim.[2]
mi alasa e kalami alasa e kala.
We went fishing.
Some speakers humorously extend kala to refer to anything that is in the water at a given moment. For example, someone bathing or showering can be described as kala,[2] and leaving to do so may prompt the interjection kala pona ("enjoy your swim"). By extension, kala may be used as a verb meaning "to swim". waso has a similar humorous use to refer to anything airborne.
pu[edit | edit source]
In the "Official Toki Pona Dictionary" section, the book Toki Pona: The Language of Good defines kala as:
NOUN fish, marine animal, sea creature
ku[edit | edit source]
For Toki Pona Dictionary, respondents in ma pona pi toki pona translated these English words as kala:[3]
fish5
, sea creature5 , salmon4
sitelen pona[edit | edit source]
The sitelen pona glyph for kala () represents a fish. It is written in one stroke as a self-intersecting loop, drawn facing either direction; the shape is comparable to the Greek letter alpha or an ichthys (which instead usually consists of 2 arcs). The glyph is sometimes drawn with two eye dots inside (kala) to make it consistent with other animal words (akesi, pipi, soweli, kijetesantakalu, and waso).
sitelen sitelen[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Word Origins. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Toki Pona.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 lipamanka. "toki pona dictionary". lipamanka.gay.
- ↑ Lang, Sonja. (18 July 2021). Toki Pona Dictionary. Illustrated by Vacon Sartirani. Tawhid. ISBN 978-0978292362. p. 235.
Further reading[edit | edit source]
- "kala" on lipu Linku
- "kala" on lipu Wikipesija
- "kala" on English Wiktionary