monsutatesu
monsutatesu is an analysis of Toki Pona. It posits that some words are auto-antonyms when used as verbs. The word is a tokiponization of "monsuta test"; sina monsuta e mi can be interpreted as "you scare me" or "you fear me".
monsutatesu may be caused by using a word in a different part of speech, then adapting that meaning back into the original part of speech. For example, pu defines moku as a verb meaning "to eat". When used as a noun, it is interpreted as something that is eaten: "food". If this noun sense is used as a verb, it means "to be food", with the inverse relation of its definition.
Words analyzed under monsutatesu
In the following table, E stands for the direct object of a transitive verb. Senses without E are intransitive.
| nimi | Meaning | Noted by | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject as agent | Subject as patient | ||
| monsuta | to be scary; to scare E | to be afraid; to fear E | janKipo[1][2] |
| mama | to be a parent; to nurture E | to make E a parent | jan Likipi[3][2] |
| lawa | to be a head; to control E | to make E a head; to put E in charge | A mpptp member[2] |
| kalama | to sound; to make the sound E | to play; to make E make sound | |
| moku | to consume (E) | to give fuel; to feed E | |
| to be fuel[note 1] | jan Misali[4] | ||
| musi | to be fun; to entertain E | to have fun; to enjoy E | jan Kekan San[5] |
- ↑ Fails monsutatesu as a transitive verb
References
- ↑ janKipo. "Re: monsuta moli". Toki Pona Forums. October 4, 2010.
Does 'monsuta' as vt mean "be afraid of", as here, or "frighten"? The latter seems more reasonable somehow.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 kala pona Tonyu. "monsutatesu". lipu kule, tenpo mun nanpa wan, 2021.
- ↑ On the
toki utavoice channel in ma pona pi toki pona, then discussed in the#sona-musitext channel - ↑ jan Misali. "Day One: Reading and Whatnot" (2:28–2:42), 12 Days of sona pi toki pona. YouTube. December 13, 2015.
- ↑ jan Kekan San. Monsutatesu isn’t special (scrap). mun! (mun.la).