ken

ken
Pronunciation	/ken/ 🔊 🔊
Usage	2023: Core (100% ↗︎ )2022: Core (99%)
Book and era	nimi pu
Part of speech	Preverb, content word
Codepoint	󱤘 U+F1918

ken is a core content word and preverb relating to abilities and possibilities.

Etymology

The word ken is derived from Tok Pisin ken, itself from English can.

Semantic space

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The semantic space of ken includes abilities and possibilities, whether innate or through outside permission.

sina ken ala ken toki pona

sina ken ala ken toki pona?

Can you speak Toki Pona?

o ken e musi mi

o ken e musi mi!

Let me play!
(Make my entertainment possible!)

ken can roughly describe probabilities, particularly when words that indicate size, such as lili and suli, modify it.

ken suli la mi kama lon tenpo ike

ken suli la mi kama lon tenpo ike.

There's a big chance that we've arrived at a bad time.

pu

In the "Official Toki Pona Dictionary" section, the book Toki Pona: The Language of Good defines ken as:

PRE-VERB  to be able to, be allowed to, can, may
ADJECTIVE  possible

ku

For Toki Pona Dictionary, respondents in ma pona pi toki pona translated these English words as ken:

able⁵81–100% of respondents, potential⁵81–100% of respondents, ability⁵81–100% of respondents, capability⁵81–100% of respondents, capable⁵81–100% of respondents, may⁵81–100% of respondents, possible⁵81–100% of respondents, could⁵81–100% of respondents, eligible⁴61–80% of respondents, can⁴61–80% of respondents, possibility⁴61–80% of respondents, permission⁴61–80% of respondents, likelihood³41–60% of respondents, chance³41–60% of respondents, probability³41–60% of respondents, available³41–60% of respondents, opportunity³41–60% of respondents, maybe³41–60% of respondents, possibly³41–60% of respondents, odds³41–60% of respondents, patentially²21–40% of respondents, perhaps²21–40% of respondents, liberty²21–40% of respondents, might²21–40% of respondents, option²21–40% of respondents, viable²21–40% of respondents, enable²21–40% of respondents, privilege²21–40% of respondents, allow²21–40% of respondents, likely²21–40% of respondents, prospect²21–40% of respondents, freedom²21–40% of respondents

sitelen pona

The sitelen pona glyph for ken (󱤘) is derived from the uppercase Latin letter K, as in the first letter of the word.

sitelen sitelen

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Further reading

• "ken" on lipu Linku
• "ken" on lipu Wikipesija
• "ken" on English Wiktionary