kule

kule
Pronunciation	/ˈku.le/
Usage	2023: Core (99% → )2022: Core (99%)
Book and era	nimi pu
Part of speech	Content word
Codepoint	󱤞 U+F191E

kule is a core word relating to color and hues.

Etymology

The word kule is derived from Acadian French couleur.

Semantic space

The semantic space of kule includes colors and hues, as well as, more concretely, pigments and paint. As a modifier, it refers to colorful things.

kasi ni likuleseme

kasi ni li kule seme?

What color is this plant?

Extensions

Main article: kule and poki

By analogy, kule is sometimes extended to refer to any intrinsic or sensory attribute, such as composition, sensory information (hue, smell, flavor, timbre, texture), or gender identity. The word poki ("container") is used as an antonym for this sense, meaning any extrinsic attribute. Compare the English phrase "to put someone in a box".

kule sometimes refers to the space of the English word queer, particularly to distinguish sexualities from gender identities. Compare tonsi.

toki-pona li pona tawa kulupu kule

toki pona li pona tawa kulupu kule.

Toki Pona is good to the queer community.

pu

In the "Official Toki Pona Dictionary" section, the book Toki Pona: The Language of Good defines kule as:

ADJECTIVE  colourful, pigmented, painted

ku

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

colour⁵81–100% of respondents, diverse²21–40% of respondents, LGBTQ+²21–40% of respondents, paint²21–40% of respondents, lesbian²21–40% of respondents, gay²21–40% of respondents, spectrum²21–40% of respondents

sitelen pona

Dispersion as shown in a prism

The sitelen pona glyph for kule (󱤞) is composed of the triangle radical with a line through the middle. This possibly represents dispersion of light through a prism.

Further reading

Wikipesija has a Toki Pona article on
kule.

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