musi
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| Pronunciation | /ˈmu |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Core (100% → )2022: Core (100%) |
| Book and era | nimi pu |
| Part of speech | Content word |
| Codepoint | U+F193B |
musi is a core content word relating to art and entertainment.
Etymology[edit | edit source]
The word musi is derived from Esperanto amuzi ("to amuse, to entertain").[1]
Semantic space[edit | edit source]
The semantic space of musi encompasses and relates concepts such as play, art, entertainment, fun, amusement, and so on. It covers activities, and physical or intangible works in all mediums, that one seeks to create, participate in, or view, for the sake of enjoyment, creativity, expression, or engagement. By not drawing distinctions between these concepts, Toki Pona presumes a broad and inclusive perspective on what counts as art.
The word musi can refer to these activities and works as well as the emotions they elicit.
lipu li musilipu li musi.
Books (or other documents) are entertaining.
sina jan musi nanpa wan asina jan musi nanpa wan a!
You're the number-one player! (first or best)
Part of the definition in Toki Pona: The Language of Good suggests that musi is non-serious; according to lipamanka's dictionary, whether this is the case is contentious.[2] musi is often contrasted with pali ("work"), which is more often compulsory or unenjoyable, although naturally this varies between activities and by speakers' preferences.
As a verb, it can stand for having fun or interacting with a musi (e.g. playing a game).
waso pimeja li musi lon ko lete walowaso pimeja li musi lon ko lete walo.
Black birds play in the white snow.
musi is a common headnoun for games and other media. It may be the entire head of the name, or a modifier in a more descriptive phrase.
Tone indicator[edit | edit source]
In certain online communities such as ma pona pi toki pona, /musi is sometimes used as a calque of English /j, a tone indicator marking a joke. This occurs in toki pona taso as well as Toki Ponglish, but is specific to casual conversation, and speakers who are not already familiar with English tone indicators are unlikely to understand it.
pu[edit | edit source]
In the "Official Toki Pona Dictionary" section, the book Toki Pona: The Language of Good defines musi as:
ADJECTIVE artistic, entertaining, frivolous, playful, recreational
ku[edit | edit source]
For Toki Pona Dictionary, respondents in ma pona pi toki pona translated these English words as musi:[3]
entertainment5, fun5, funny5, play5, game5, comedy5, art3, artistic3, fascinating2, humour2, interesting2, irony2, sport2, enjoy2, creative2, playoffs2
sitelen pona[edit | edit source]
The sitelen pona glyph for musi () is a curve connected to two small circles at the upper corners.
Its origin is unclear. jan Sonja's "best guess" is that it might depict a skipping rope, as she had one at home,[4] with the circles likely representing hands or handles if so. It has also been conjectured to represent a lyre or a smile with rosy cheeks.[5]
In jan Sonja's handwriting in Toki Pona: The Language of Good, the shape of the curve resembles that of lupa (lupa), with only slight inward curvature at the ends. The font linja pona popularized a form with a circular arc for the curve, as well as larger upper circles. Structurally, this form is often compared to the glyph for mu (mu) but with an open top and no dot.
sitelen sitelen[edit | edit source]
The sitelen sitelen word glyph for musi (musi) is a fusion of the syllable glyphs for "u" and "i" (U I) with an added horizontal line.
The origin of this line is unclear. It might be taken from the consonant glyph for m (M), and/or to make it look like a face.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Word Origins". tokipona.org. Archived from the original on 8 August 2002.
- ↑ lipamanka. "toki pona dictionary". lipamanka.gay.
- ↑ Lang, Sonja. (18 July 2021). Toki Pona Dictionary. Illustrated by Vacon Sartirani. Tawhid. ISBN 978-0978292362. p. 289.
- ↑ jan Sonja [@sonjalang]. (28 April 2024). Message in
#toki. ma musi pi toki pona. Discord. Retrieved 30 April 2024. "fun fact: i wonder if the sitelen pona for musi comes from a skipping rope. i had a jump rope in my home around the same time i was working on pu, so it's my best guess". - ↑ ilo Eko. (14 November 2020). "sitelen pona etymology rough draft i guess". Google Docs. Archived from the original on 5 November 2023.
Further reading[edit | edit source]
- "musi" on lipu Linku
- "musi" on lipu Wikipesija
- "musi" on English Wiktionary