luka pona

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Should describe the language like the articles for writing systems

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luka pona, or LPSL (luka pona sign language), is a constructed sign language. It is a tokiponido created by jan Olipija. It is a real sign language, including classifiers and NMFsnon-manual features, unlike toki pona luka which is a relex of toki pona into signs.

The main community center for luka pona is the #luka-pona channel on the ma pona pi toki pona discord server.

Phonology and morphology

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List hand shapes, show example minimal pairs

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luka pona morphology is primarily defined by the combination of shape, placement, orientation, and motion.

Handshapes

• wan (1): Index finger extended
• tu (V): Index and middle fingers spread
• tawa (L): Index finger and thumb extended
• kiwen (OpenA): Fist, thumb extended
• supa (FlatB): Fingers together
• nena (BentB): Fingers together, bent at knuckles
• sike (O): Tips of index (and middle) finger and thumb touching (other fingers together)
• telo (5): Fingers spread
• lili (9): Tips of index finger and thumb touching (other fingers spread)

Word list

word	handshape	details	SignWriting
ala	supa (FlatB)	lon nena (pi poka sijelo)shoulder
alasa	wan (1)	tawa wekaaway from self
ale/ali	telo (5)	sike sewivertical circle
anpa	tawa (L)	palisa luka li lon anpapointing down
	nena (BentB)	tawa anpadownward movement
ante	kiwen (OpenA)	o ante e sinpin luka lon sewiflip up
	wan (1)
anu	tawa (L)	o ante e sinpin tawa sewiflip up
awen	nena (BentB)	tawa jantowards self
		nena (lon poka sijelo)shoulder
akesi	tu (V)	palisa luka li lon wekafingers pointing sideways lon utaon mouth
esun	nena (BentB)	sike supaverticle circle sinpin luka li lon sewipalm up
en/kin/kan	tawa (L)	o ante e sinpin tawa anpaflip down
ijo	wan (1)	lon luka (ante)other hand
ilo	tawa (L)	lon luka (ante)other hand
isipin/lukin	wan (1)	lon okoeyes
insa	tawa (L)	lon sijelochest/stomach
ike	kiwen (OpenA)	sinpin luka li lon janpalm away from self
jelo	lili (9)	lon lawa (poka)beside head
jo	nena (BentB)	sinpin luka li lon sewipalm up
jaki	kiwen (OpenA)	lon okoeyes sinpin luka li lon janpalm away from self
jan	wan (1)	tawa anpadownward movement palisa luka li lon sewi.fingers up
	tawa (L)	tawa anpadownward movement sinpin luka li lon anpa.palm down
jasima
kalama	telo (5)	lon utaon mouth sinpin luka li lon anpa.palm down
		lon poka lawabeside head sinpin luka li lon anpa.palm down
kama/tawa	tawa (L)	tawa wekamovement away tawa pokasideways tawa jantowards self
ken	kiwen (OpenA)	tawa anpadownward
kepeken	kiwen (OpenA)	sike sewivertical circle
kili	kiwen (OpenA)	lon utamouth
kiwen	kiwen (OpenA)	sinpin luka li lon anpapalm down
kipisi	tu (V)	tawa lili anpaflick down
kijetesantakalu	tu (V)	lon okoeyes sinpin luka li lon wekapalm away from self
kon	telo (5)	tawa mutewiggle/fan
ku
kule	lili (9)	sike sewivertical circle
kulupu	wan (1)	sike supahorizontal circle
	telo (5)	sike supahorizontal circle palisa luka li lon sewipointing up
kute	wan (1)	lon lawa (poka)head
kala	supa (FlatB)	tawa muteshake
ko	nena (BentB)	sike sewiverticle circle
la	tawa (L)	tawa lili sewiflick up
lawa	kiwen (OpenA)	lon lawa (poka)head
lape	supa (FlatB)	lon lawa (poka)head
laso	lili (9)	lon luka (ante)hand (other)
len	nena (BentB)	lon sijelochest/stomach
lete	telo (5)	lon luka (ante)hand (other)
lili	supa (FlatB)	tawa anpadownwards motion
	tu (V)	tawa anpadownwards motion
	lili (9)	sinpin luka li lon wekasinpin luka li lon weka
lipu	supa (FlatB)	lon luka anteon other hand
loje	lili (9)	lon utamouth
luka	telo (5)	sinpin luka tawa wekapalm away from self
lukin/oko	tu (V)	sike sewivertical circle lon okoeyes palisa luka li lon wekapointing away from self palisa luka tawa wekafingers away from self palisa luka li lon wekapointing away from self palisa luka li lon janpointing away from self
linja	lili (9)	tawa pokasidways
lon	wan (1)	tawa lili anpaflick down
	tawa (L)
lupa	sike (O)	sinpin luka li lon anpapalm down
ma	supa (FlatB)	sike supahorizontal circle sinpin luka li lon anpapalm down
mama	tu (V)	lon sijelochest/stomach sinpin luka li lon sewipalm up
mi	wan (1)	palisa luka li lon janpointing towards self
moku	sike (O)	lon utamouth
monsuta	telo (5)	tawa jantowards self
mani	wan (1)	lon okoeyes palisa luka li lon sewipointing up
monsi	supa (FlatB)	sinpin luka li lon janpalm towards self
moli	supa (FlatB)	lon utamouth tawa pokasideways motion
meli	tawa (L)	lon utamouth
mije	tawa (L)	lon okoeyes
mu	nena (BentB)	lon utamouth
	telo (5)	lon poka lawabeside head sinpin luka li lon anpa.palm down
musi	telo (5)	sinpin luka li lon pokapalm to the side tawa sewiupward motion
mute	telo (5)	tawa pokasidways
mun	sike (O)	lon lawa (poka)head (beside)
namako/sin	supa (FlatB)	lon luka (ante)hand (other) tawa sewiupward motion palisa luka li lon sewifingers pointing upward
ni	wan (1)	palisa luka li lon anpapalm down
nanpa	telo (5)	lon okoeyes
nasa	wan (1)	sike sewiverticle circle
nasin	supa (FlatB)	tawa wekaaway from self
nena	nena (BentB)	sinpin li lon anpapalm down
nimi	supa (FlatB)	lon okoeyes
noka	tu (V)	palisa luka li lon anpapalm down
olin	telo (5)	lon sijelochest/stomach
ona	wan (1)	palisa luka li lon pokapalm sideways
open	supa (FlatB)	ante sinpin tawa sewiflip up
o	supa (FlatB)	tawa lili tawa anpaflick down
pakala	telo (5)	sinpin li ante tawa sewisinpin li ante tawa sewi
pali	kiwen (OpenA)	lon luka anteother hand tawa mutefan/wiggle/shake
palisa	sike (O)	tawa pokamovement sideways
pan	telo (5)	lon utamouth
pana/lanpan	nena (BentB)	tawa wekaaway from self sinpin luka li lon sewisinpin luka li lon sewi tawa jantowards self tawa pokasideways
pimeja	lili (9)	lon nena (lon poka sijelo)shoulder
pini	supa (FlatB)	ante sinpin tawa anpaflip down
pilin	lili (9)	lon sijelochest/stomach
pi	lili (9)	tawa lili tawa sewiflick up
poka	tawa (L)	palisa luka li lon pokafingers point sideways
poki	sike (O)	sinpin luka li lon pokafingers point sideways
pipi	lili (9)	tawa mutewiggle/shake
pona	kiwen (OpenA)	sinpin luka li lon janpalm towards self
pu
sama	kiwen (OpenA)	o ante e sinpin luka tawa anpaflip down
	wan (1)
seli	telo (5)	lon nena (pi poka sijelo)shoulder
seme	supa (FlatB)	sinpin luka li lon sewisinpin luka li lon sewi
	wan (1)	tawa muteshake/wiggle/fan
sewi	tawa (L)	palisa luka li lon sewipointing up
	nena (BentB)	tawa sewimovement up
selo	sike (O)	lon luka (ante)other hand
sijelo	supa (FlatB)	lon sijelochest/stomach tawa anpadownward
sike	sike (O)	sike sewiverticle circle
sin	supa (FlatB)	lon luka (ante)other hand tawa sewimovement up
sina	wan (1)	palisa luka li lon wekapalm away from self
sinpin	supa (FlatB)	sinpin luka li lon anpapalm down
sitelen	lili (9)	sike supahorizontal circle
soko
sona	nena (BentB)	lon lawa (poka)head (beside)
sona/isipin	wan (1)	lon lawa (poka)head (beside) palisa luka li lon sewipointing up
soweli	tu (V)	palisa luka li lon sewipointing up tawa anpadownward
suli	supa (FlatB)	tawa anpamovement downward
	tu (V)
suno	telo (5)	lon lawa (poka)head (beside)
supa	supa (FlatB)	tawa pokamovement sideways sinpin luka li lon anpapalm downward
suwi	tu (V)	lon utamouth
tan	telo (5)	ante sinpin tawa anpaflip down
taso	wan (1)	tawa lili sewiflick up
tawa/kama	tawa (L)	tawa wekamovement away tawa pokasideways tawa jantowards self
telo	telo (5)	tawa wekamovement away
tenpo	tu (V)	lon luka (ante)other hand
toki	supa (FlatB)	sike sewiverticle circle
tomo	nena (BentB)	tawa pokasideways
tonsi	tawa (L)	lon lawa (poka)beside head
tu	tu (V)	sinpin luka li lon janpalm towards self
unpa	tu	luka li tawa sewi tawa anpa lon tenpo tu ona li sama nimi U-N-U-N
uta	wan (1)	lon utamouth
utala	kiwen (OpenA)	tawa wekamovement away tawa jantowards self tawa pokasideways
walo	lili (9)	lon okoeyes
wan	wan (1)	sinpin luka li lon janpalm towards self
waso	telo (5)	tawa lili anpaflick down
wawa	kiwen (OpenA)	lon sijelochest/stomach
weka	supa (FlatB)	tawa lili sewiflick up
wile	sike (O)	lon sijelochest/stomach
	telo (5)	tawa jantowards self sinpin luka li lon sewipalm up

Resources

Created by jan Olipja

• Video Dictionary
• luka pona li seme? (intro blog post)
• Grammar documentation
  • Grammar documentation in Google Docs
  • Grammar documentation (literal English translation)
• Dictionary spreadsheet
• Fingerspelling: one-handed, two-handed
• Handshapes

Compiled by the community

• Memrise
• Anki - Discord, Mega
• Latest fingerspelling
• Online searchable dictionary