kokosila

Uncommon Toki Pona content word
Revision as of 03:56, 13 March 2024 by Jan Pensa (talk | contribs) (→‎{{tp|sitelen sitelen}}: expanded the section with example images and much more thorough descriptions of glyph elements)

kokosila is an uncommon content word relating to speaking another language when Toki Pona would be more appropriate. Some speakers consider it a joke word. Despite its status as a nimi ku suli, kokosila fell to 25% usage in 2022 and remains the least commonly used nimi ku suli as of 2023, according to Linku surveys.

kokosila in sitelen pona
kokosila in sitelen sitelen
Pronunciation /ˈko.ko.si.la/
Usage 2023: Uncommon (31% ↗︎ )Caution: Most speakers don't use this word.2022: Uncommon (25%)
Book and era nimi ku suli (post-pu)
Part of speech Content word
Codepoint 󱦄 U+F1984

Etymology

 
Sign in Esperanto saying Ne krokodilu!, literally meaning "do not crocodile"

The word kokosila is derived from Esperanto krokodilas, the present form of krokodili, meaning "to speak among Esperantists in a language besides Esperanto".[1] It was coined by jan Sonja in the ma pona pi toki pona Discord server in 2020.[2][3]

Semantic space

The semantic space of kokosila includes speaking another language than Toki Pona in a situation where Toki Pona would be more appropriate, especially in a toki pona taso environment. It can refer to any language that is not Toki Pona.

o kokosila ala

o kokosila ala!

Speak only in Toki Pona!

ku

For Toki Pona Dictionary, respondents in ma pona pi toki pona translated these English words as kokosila:[4]

speak another language in a Toki Pona only environment3

Criticism

kokosila has been criticized as hypocritical, being a loan of a niche Esperanto word in an environment where core Toki Pona words would be more appropriate.[5]

sitelen pona

 
Flag of Esperanto, featuring the Verda Stelo

The sitelen pona glyph for kokosila (󱦄) is derived from the glyph for toki (standing for toki pona) with a slash though the circle, representing the no symbol. This glyph was featured in the Esperanto translation of Toki Pona: The Language of Good.

An alternative glyph (kokosila) depicts a star, representing the Verda Stelo ("green star"), a prominent Esperanto symbol. This glyph variant was proposed in 2021 by lipamanka and used in a list of proposed sitelen pona glyphs by jan Sa.[6]

sitelen sitelen

 
A late-stage prototype for the kokosila glyph, drawn by Jonathan Gabel (jan Josan)
 
Examples of variations of the kokosila glyph by Jonathan Gabel

The sitelen sitelen word glyph for kokosila is derived from the word glyphs for toki, ike and ante. It was designed by jan Temili, lon Jawin, and jan Sawin in 2021 as part of a nimi ku suli collaboration project with jan Josan (Jonathan Gabel).

By default, the kokosila glyph is like the toki word glyph (toki) but with the uta radical on the wrong side, a reverse-S-shaped question radical for an eye taken from the glyph for ante (ante), and teeth-like bumps at the mouth and the bottom taken from the glyph for ike (ike).

The glyph may be altered in many ways such that it is "always out of place and not following the rules".[7] Jonathan Gabel's example variations include adding more question radicals, adding a cross-shaped ala radical, and adding extra elements of the word glyphs for ante (ante) or moli (moli).

References

  1. jan Sonja [@sonjalang]. (4 September 2020). [Message posted in the #tomo-toki-pini-ante channel in the ma pona pi toki pona Discord server]. Discord. Retrieved 12 December 2023. "from Esperanto "krokodilas"".
  2. jan Sonja [@sonjalang]. (4 September 2020). [Message posted in the #tomo-toki-pini-ante channel in the ma pona pi toki pona Discord server]. Discord. Retrieved 12 December 2023. "aaa mi kokosila".
  3. jan Sonja [@sonjalang]. (4 September 2020). [Message posted in the #tomo-toki-pini-ante channel in the ma pona pi toki pona Discord server]. Discord. Retrieved 12 December 2023. "kokosila = to speak a non-Toki Pona language in an environment where Toki Pona is more appropriate (any better definition?)".
  4. Lang, Sonja. (18 July 2021). Toki Pona Dictionary. Illustrated by Vacon Sartirani. Tawhid. ISBN 978-0978292362. p. 253.
  5. User:.hecko/kokosila is kokosila
  6. jan Sa. (28 January 2021). "sitelen pona pi nimi mute" [Many words' sitelen pona glyphs]. Imgur. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  7. Gabel, Jonathan. (5 September 2021). "Designing glyphs - sitelen suwi pi nimi ku suli". jonathangabel.com. Retrieved 22 January 2024.

Further reading