kama
Pronunciation | /ˈka |
---|---|
Usage | 2023: Core (100% ↗︎ )2022: Core (99%) |
Book and era | nimi pu |
Part of speech | Preverb, content word |
Codepoint | U+F1916 |
kama is a core content word and preverb relating to movement from further away to nearer a referent (that is, "coming" or "arriving") and to changes of state ("becoming").
Etymology
The word kama is derived from Tok Pisin kamap, itself derived from English come up.[1]
Semantic space
Preverb
The main preverb sense of kama is "to become". It can be used when the subject comes to do or be something that it wasn't before.
ona li kama ponaona li kama pona.
It became good.
She got better.
They improved.
jan [ale luka uta] li wile kama mama.jan Alu li wile kama mama.
Alu wants to become a parent.
mi kama lukin e soweli suwimi kama lukin e soweli suwi.
I came to see a cute animal.
I spotted a cute animal.
(At first I didn't see a cute animal, and then I did.)
Content word
tenpo seme la sina kamatenpo seme la sina kama?
At what time are you coming?
When will you arrive?
Transitive verb
As a transitive verb followed by e, kama generally means to cause the direct object to come or to come about. For example "to summon", "to bring about", "to cause to occur", etc.
ona li kama e ponaona li kama e pona.
It brought goodness.
o kama e jan sona sijeloo kama e jan sona sijelo.
Make a learned person of the body come.
Call for a doctor.
Phatic expressions
The "Phrase Book" section of the book Toki Pona: The Language of Good recommends the interjection kama pona for "welcome". Word for word, it literally means "good arrival", implying "I wish you a good arrival" (similar to wishing someone "good day"). This was the standard expression for "welcome" before the book's publication. Since its publication, the variant o kama pona (lit. an imperative that means 'come well') has also become very common.
Time
kama can be used to talk about the "coming time". The Toki Pona translation of this exact phrase, tenpo kama, is a common lexicalization for "the future".
pu
In the "Official Toki Pona Dictionary" section, the book Toki Pona: The Language of Good defines kama as:
ADJECTIVE arriving, coming, future, summoned
PRE-VERB to become, manage to, succeed in
ku
For Toki Pona Dictionary, respondents in ma pona pi toki pona translated these English words as kama:[2]
coming5, next2 , developmental2 , arise2 , visit2 , induce2 , trigger2 , phenomenon2 , event2, come5 , arrival5 , arrive5 , become4 , upcoming4 , emerging4 , emerge4 , happen4 , occur3
sitelen pona
The sitelen pona glyph for kama () represents two leg radical moving towards the left, against the convetional writing direction. Compare the glyphs for awen and tawa.
sitelen sitelen
References
- ↑ Word Origins. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Toki Pona.
- ↑ Lang, Sonja. (18 July 2021). Toki Pona Dictionary. Illustrated by Vacon Sartirani. Tawhid. ISBN 978-0978292362. pp. 236–237.
Further reading
- "kama" on lipu Linku
- "kama" on lipu Wikipesija
- "kama" on English Wiktionary