kipisi

kipisi is a common content word and pre-pu nimi ku suli relating to splitting. After its revival, it was formerly widespread according to the 2022 Linku survey, but has since declined somewhat in usage.

kipisi
Pronunciation	/ˈki.pi.si/
Usage	2023: Common (67% ↘︎ )2022: Widespread (73%)
Book and era	nimi ku suli (pre-pu)
Part of speech	Content word
Codepoint	󱥻 U+F197B

Etymology

The word kipisi is thought to be derived from Iñupiaq kipriruk, meaning "cut", or potentially Swahili kipisi, meaning "sliver, small piece of wood".

Semantic space

The semantic space of kipisi includes splitting, cutting, and otherwise dividing into pieces. It overlaps with pakala, and with using any number as a transitive verb, although the latter can refer to multiplication or division depending on context. kipisi can also refer to a piece of something.

jan li ken kipisi e ona tawa sike ante mute　

jan li ken kipisi e ona tawa sike ante mute.

People can cut it into many different circles.

ku

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

split⁴61–80% of respondents, division⁴61–80% of respondents, slice⁴61–80% of respondents, cut³41–60% of respondents, divide³41–60% of respondents, chop³41–60% of respondents, segment³41–60% of respondents, section³41–60% of respondents, portion²21–40% of respondents, piece²21–40% of respondents, part²21–40% of respondents, half²21–40% of respondents, rip²21–40% of respondents, clip²21–40% of respondents, separation²21–40% of respondents, chunk²21–40% of respondents, carve²21–40% of respondents, separate²21–40% of respondents, sector²21–40% of respondents, percentage²21–40% of respondents

sitelen pona

The sitelen pona glyph for kipisi (󱥻) is derived from the obelus (÷), used as a division sign in Anglophone countries. The glyph was designed by jan Same in October 2016. Originally closely resembling the mathematical sign, it was later rotated to a diagonal to avoid confusion with lon (lonlon). Thereafter, it looks similar to the percent sign (%), and is a homoglyph of a form of the rarer commercial minus sign (⁒). This version was included in version 1.0 of jan Same's linja pona font.

sitelen sitelen

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Further reading

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