luka
luka is a core content word relating to the hands and arms. It can also stand for the number five.
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| Pronunciation | /ˈlu |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Core (100% ↗︎ )2022: Core (99%) |
| Book and era | nimi pu |
| Part of speech | Number, content word |
| Codepoint | U+F192D |
Etymology
luka is derived from the Croatian word ruka, meaning "hand".[1]
Semantic space
The semantic space of luka includes any and all parts of human upper limbs, such as the arms, elbows, hands and fingers; similarly to how noka can refer to legs or feet. As a verb, it can refer to the act of touching something with a luka.
As a number, it stands for five, the amount of fingers on a human hand. In the early days of Toki Pona, it was the highest-value number word, before mute and ale acquired that status. This led to the creation of the idiom jo e luka mute, meaning "to be complicated", as big numbers would have many repetitions of the word luka.[2][3]
In sign language, luka refers to an individual sign and the act of signing itself.
pu
In the "Official Toki Pona Dictionary" section, the book Toki Pona: The Language of Good defines luka as:
NOUN arm, hand, tactile organ
NUMBER five
sitelen pona
The sitelen pona glyph for luka is a simplified mitten-like hand facing upwards, with the thumb on the left. This hand appears as a radical in the lower half of glyphs for kepeken (with ilo), moku (with uta), and pana (with emitters).
See also
References
- ↑ "Word Origins". tokipona.org. Archived from the original on 8 August 2002.
- ↑ jan Sonja (21 May 2002). "Compounds". Toki Pona Forums. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
- ↑ jan Sonja [@sonjalang]. (16 November 2022). [Message posted in the
#sona-musichannel in the ma pona pi toki pona Discord server]. Discord. Retrieved 12 October 2023. "luka was the highest number at the time, so big numbers were like luka luka luka luka luka luka luka wan[.] hence the idiom, ona li jo e luka mute, it is complicated".