ki
| Pronunciation | /ki/ |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Obscure (2% → ) Most speakers don't understand this word.2022: Obscure (2%)
|
| Book and era | No book (post-pu) |
| Part of speech | Particle |
ki is an obscure post-pu particle that marks a relative clause. It is almost never used due to its implications for Toki Pona grammar, making sentences much more complex.
Etymology
The word ki is derived from French qui, meaning "who". It was coined by akesi kon Nalasuni and jan Atenaja in 2020.
Function
ki acts like a relative pronoun, similar to English "which", "who", or "that".
jan ki moku e kilijan ki moku e kili
the man who eats fruit
Many details about how ki works have never been decided on, since it is almost never used in practice.
Alternatives
In standard Toki Pona, ni ("that") can be used to refer to the upcoming sentence, causing it to function similarly to a relative clause.
sitelen pona
A proposed sitelen pona glyph for ki (ki) is derived from that of pi and functions the same way, but the left side is in the shape of a left-facing angle bracket, resembling a flipped li (li) connected to the low line. It was designed by nimi Elemenopi in January 2021.[1]
References
- ↑ nimi Elemenopi [u/ElemenopiTheSequel]. (29 January 2021). "Updated 1b glyphs". r/OffThePu. Reddit. Retrieved 28 December 2023. "[Key: black] = original, made by me".
Further reading
- "ki" on lipu Linku