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kepeken e: Difference between revisions
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This sort of sentence is necessarily ambiguous. Since ''tawa'' could be either a modifier or a preposition, and no feature of the language enables the speaker to distinguish the possibilities, both glosses above are equally plausible interpretations. The difference between them is usually described by saying that ''tawa'' is acting as a preposition in the former interpretation, and as a content word in the latter.
Generally, when a preposition heads a predicate it does not take the particle [[e]] with its object. However, since it is also possible to use the prepositions as content words, some interpretations of toki pona use follow ''kepeken'' by [[e]] when it heads a predicate, as though it were a transitive verb:
<blockquote>
;mi kepeken e ilo. :I'm using tools.
;sina wile kepeken e ilo. :You have to use tools.
;mi kepeken e poki ni. :I'm using that cup.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20041217044933/http://tokipona.nytka.org/lesson/lesson6.html]jan Pije Lesson 6, circa 2004</ref>
</blockquote>
This style is not universally accepted as of 2023; [[pu]] does not use the particle [[e]] in this context.
== Transitive prepositional phrases ==
Some speakers hold that prepositions are never used as content words, and that when followed by [[e]] they apply the preposition to the object. For example, jan Juli argues that
<blockquote>
kepeken is a word that does not exist in English. Its indirect object is the thing that's being used (to achieve something), not its direct object.<ref>[https://github.com/kilipan/nasin-toki#how-to-use-prepositions]nasin toki how to use prepositions</ref>
</blockquote>
In this interpretation, a preposition at the head of a predicate followed by [[e]] is nevertheless a preposition:
<blockquote>
;mi tawa e soweli :I move the animal [towards an unspecified location].
;mi lon e kala :I exist the fish (i make the fish exist) [in an unspecified location/time/way].
;mi sama e akesi :I sameify the frog (i make the frog similar) [to sth unspecified].
;mi tan e ona :I make them be the result [of something unspecified].
;mi kepeken e ona :I make them use [something unspecified].<ref>[https://github.com/kilipan/nasin-toki#a-comparative-analysis-of-prepositions]nasin toki a comparative analysis of prepositions</ref>
</blockquote>
However, this interpretation makes it possible to use an entire prepositional phrase transitively:
:;"jan lanpan li poki e ona li tawa tomo telo e ona."<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wGSEiI3XlJ32YKeFRmp6U-HMKW96Ac_4/view mijomi telo], page 3.</ref>
::The pirate put them in a cage can brought them to the boat.
This can be interpreted:
:jan lanpan li tawa tomo telo e ona la ona li tawa tomo telo,
Ordinarily "tawa tomo telo" is interpreted as a prepositional phrase, and it is applied to a direct object here and conforms to the observations on transitivity described above.
== Conclusion ==
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