li
  | |
| Pronunciation | /li/ |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Core (100% → )2022: Core (100%) |
| Book and era | nimi pu |
| Part of speech | Particle |
| Codepoint | U+F1927 |
li is a particle used to introduce a predicate to a sentence. It introduces all predicates if the subject is not mi or sina.
Etymology[edit | edit source]
The word li is derived from Esperanto li ("he"),[1] itself from Latin ille ("he, she, it"). Its functionality is derived from Tok Pisin i, a particle that introduces the verb except when the subject is the first- or second-person singular pronouns.[2][3][4]
Function[edit | edit source]
The particle li marks the start of a predicate. The predicate can be intepreted as a verb, noun, adjective, or prepositional phrase. The particle is omitted when the subject consists only of the word mi or sina.
ona li mokuona li moku.
They eat.
soweli li suwisoweli li suwi.
The dog is cute.
kili li mokukili li moku.
Fruits are food.
mi tawa tomomi tawa tomo.
I'm going home.
sina pona lukinsina pona lukin.
You're pretty.
When the subject is anything other than the words mi or sina alone, it is followed by li. This can come about when multiple subjects are used in a single sentence with en, or when mi or sina either modify or are modified by another word in the subject.
sina en mi li lukin e sitelen tawasina en mi li lukin e sitelen tawa.
You and I watch a movie.
moku mi li lon supamoku mi li lon supa.
My food is on the table.
mi tu li kamami tu li kama.
The two of us arrive.
Multiple predicates[edit | edit source]
In order to introduce multiple predicates, the particle li is repeated for subjects apart from mi and sina.
ona li kama li tawaona li kama li tawa.
They come and go.
soweli li kute e kalama li lukin e kasisoweli li kute e kalama li lukin e kasi.
Animals listen to noises and look at plants.
The book Toki Pona: The Language of Good advises that, when multiple predicates are applied to mi or sina, they should each be their own sentence, instead of repeating li.[5]
mi toki mi mokumi toki. mi moku.
I speak. I eat.
Some speakers prefer to repeat a second li in this case.[6] This is referred to as "extended li style" in the Toki Pona Dictionary.[7] The earliest known appearance of this style is in December 2004, in the lessons by jan Pije, and would remain a part of these lessons until the lessons were made unavailable in 2020.[8]
mi toki li mokumi toki li moku.
I speak and eat.
This style can possibly lead to ambiguity, as in the sentence above. toki could be meant to be an independent predicate, or a modifier of mi. For example, the sentence above may be interpreted as "the language-related me is eating".
Edge cases[edit | edit source]
There are some edge cases where the style of the speaker may lead to differences in how li is used. The particle a in the sentence below is acting and modifying mi, but this may considered a special case and may not be counted. However, because it is still acting similar or even the same as a modifier, speakers might also use li similarly to with any modifier. A similar effect occurs with kin.
mi a wawami a wawa.
mi a li wawami a li wawa.
Misconceptions[edit | edit source]
li is not "is"[edit | edit source]
Beginners often have the misconception that li translates to "is", "are", or "to be". Notably, the series 12 Days of sona pi toki pona by jan Misali makes this claim[9], which was later corrected in his newer series toki pona lessons. The word "is" is a verb, whereas li is not. It is a particle that introduces a verb, regardless of whether the sentence would be translated with "is". For example:
mi ponami pona.
I (›) am good.
ona li ponaona li pona.
They › are good.
ona li pona e ijoona li pona e ijo.
They › improve » something.
It is more consistent to say that "to be good" and "improve" are both translations of pona. This pattern is true of all content words.
This is also why li cannot be used in a pi phrase. li is a particle that has higher priority than pi,[10] not a content word that could be used within a pi phrase.
sitelen pona[edit | edit source]
The sitelen pona glyph for li () represents the head of an arrow symbol, facing rightwards along the standard writing direction.
sitelen sitelen[edit | edit source]
The sitelen sitelen glyph for li (li) is a simple container for the predicate (not including the direct object) with no decoration. It may be written as a circle or a rounded square or rectangle. As in spoken toki pona, the li container may be omitted if the subject is an unmodified mi or sina.[11]
Like with any monosyllabic word, it may also optionally be written with a syllable glyph (LI), although this is not common with li.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Word Origins". tokipona.org. Archived from the original on 8 August 2002.
- ↑ Franklin, Karl J. (1980). The particles ‘i’ and ‘na’ in Tok Pisin. Kivung. 12 (2): 134-144.
- ↑ Tung, Cindy (2014). Grammaticalization in Tok Pisin. Lingua Frankly. 2 (1). doi:10.6017/lf.v2i1.5419
- ↑ Verhaar, J. W. M. (1991). The Function of I in Tok Pisin. Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages. 6 (2): 231–266. doi:10.1075/jpcl.6.2.04ver.
- ↑ Lang, Sonja. (25 May 2014). Toki Pona: The Language of Good. Tawhid. ISBN 978-0978292300. OCLC 921253340. p. 56.
- ↑ jan Kita [@.hecko]. (21 September 2022). Message in
#sona-kulupu. ma pona pi toki pona. Discord. Retrieved 6 March 2024. "which one of these do you do usually".Which construction do you prefer? Option Votes mi tawa. mi kalama
(pu style)52 mi tawa li kalama
(Extended li style)59 mi li tawa li kalama
("Loglanger" style)0 Which construction do you prefer? Option Votes mi lukin e ona. mi kalama
(pu style)60 mi lukin e ona li kalama
(Extended li style)43 mi li lukin e ona li kalama
("Loglanger" style)0 - ↑ Lang, Sonja. (18 July 2021). Toki Pona Dictionary. Illustrated by Vacon Sartirani. Tawhid. ISBN 978-0978292362. p. 10.
- ↑ jan Pije. "Toki Pona Lesson 4". lipu pi jan Pije. Archived from the original on 7 December 2004. Retrieved 6 March 2024. "mi moku li pakala. This says, "I eat and destroy." While li is still omitted before moku because the subject of the sentence is mi (Look back over lesson three if you've forgotten this rule), we still use it before the second verb, pakala. Without the li there, the sentence would be chaotic and confusing. Compound sentences with sina follow this same pattern.".
- ↑ jan Misali. (14 December 2015). "12 Days of sona pi toki pona Day Two: Sentence Structure". jan Misali [@HBMmaster]. YouTube.
- ↑ jan Juli. (23 September 2022). "nasin toki pona". GitHub. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ↑ Gabel, Jonathan (n.d.). Basic Sentences. jonathangabel.com. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
Further reading[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
- Toki Pona: The Language of Good: Lessons 2–5
- jan Kekan San: Actions with li
- jan Lentan: Lessons 1–4
- jan Misali (2022): what is toki pona? (toki pona lesson one)
- soweli Tesa: Lesson 2
- nasin toki pona: the particle li
- Jonathan Gabel: Basic Sentences
Resources for historical usage[edit | edit source]
- jan Sonja (2002): Lesson 1
- jan Pije (2014): Lesson 3
- jan Misali (2015): Day Two: Sentence Structure
- jan Pije (2020): Lesson 3
Dictionaries[edit | edit source]
- "li" on lipu Linku
- "li" on lipu Wikipesija
- "li" on English Wiktionary