mi li and sina li
If a sentence starts with mi or with sina as the only word in the subject, the verb immediately follows after. Adding li in this case tends to be considered ungrammatical.
Why no li?
Learners sometimes wonder why li gets added for everything else, but not for mi and sina. Because the underlying confusion, or curiosity, can have different causes, there are many possible answers.
- Because this is how the language works, and how it has worked from the very beginning. After decades, only a minority of speakers use li differently, if any.
- The particle li introduces a verb to a subject more complicated than only mi or only sina. It's commonly said that li is "omitted" after mi or sina, or that there is a "hidden" li. This could mean that Toki Pona likes to concentrate on mi and sina being more immediate subjects. They hold such importance in the language that anything else is more complex or more external to an immediate experience so that it needs an extra separation by a particle.
- Etymologically, li is a third-person marker. It is derived from the Esperanto third-person singular pronoun "li"[1] and works similar to Tok Pisin's particle i, which introduces the verb except when the subject is the singular first or second person pronoun[note 1]
- In terms of practical benefits, omitting li after mi makes it less likely to be confused with ni. It also makes sentences shorter and slightly more varied in terms of word distribution.
When to add li anyway
The relationship li has to mi and sina often gets shortened to "no li after mi or sina" - but taking this abbreviated explanation at face-value can lead to confusion in some cases where the word li followls mi and sina:
mi en sina li palimi en sina li pali
li is not added if mi is the only word in the subject or if sina is the only word in the subject. With en, there are now two subjects, so li is added.
soweli sina li ponasoweli sina li pona
li follows sina only because it is a modifier to soweli. It is not the subject, it is only part of the subject.
mi tu li kamami tu li kama
li is still used if mi or sina are modified.
Edge cases
In some cases, speakers' styles may lead to differences in how li is used:
mi a wawami a wawa
mi a li wawami a li wawa
The word a in this case is seen as applying to mi, but it is a special case that leads to li not factoring in because of the nature of the word a. However, because it is still acting similar or even the same as a modifier, speakers might also use li just like with any modifier.
A similar effect might happen with kin.
sina pali sina wawasina pali. sina wawa
pu says that when multiple predicates are applied to mi or sina, a new sentence should start.[3]
sina pali li wawasina pali li wawa
Some speakers use a second li in this case. This is referred to as "extended li style" in ku.[note 2]
Notes
- ↑ i does get used for any noun, for plural (and dual and trial) pronouns, and for the singular third person pronoun. There is variety in how i gets used in Tok Pisin in actual speech, with some often dropping it completely and others often using it even with singular first and second pronouns. Some verb classes, use of the particle na, introduction of a second predicate, some suffixes, and more can be additional factors.[2]
- ↑ This has a parallel in Tok Pisin's particle i, where a second predicate to the same subject gets introduced with it - although this usually also involves the particle na.
References
- ↑ Word Origins. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Toki Pona.
- ↑ The particles i & na in Tok Pisin – K.J. Franklin, Grammaticalization in Tok Pisin - Cindy Tung, The Function of I in Tok Pisin - John W.M. Verhaar
- ↑ Lang, Sonja. (25 May 2014). Toki Pona: The Language of Good. Tawhid. ISBN 978-0978292300. OCLC 921253340. p. 56.