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[edit | edit source]
The word ki is derived from French qui, meaning "who". It was coined by akesi kon Nalasuni and jan Atenaja in 2020.
Function[edit | edit source]
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. For example, the sentence "jan ki moku kili li tawa li pona" could mean either "the man who eats fruit moves and is good" or "the man who eats fruit and moves is good". This ambiguity can be avoided in sitelen pona by marking the scope with an underline extending from the glyph (see #sitelen pona).
Alternatives[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 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[edit | edit source]
- "ki" on lipu Linku