pakala

pakala
Pronunciation	/ˈpa.ka.la/
Usage	2023: Core (100% → )2022: Core (100%)
Book and era	nimi pu
Part of speech	Content word
Codepoint	󱥈 U+F1948

pakala is a core content word relating to destruction.

Etymology

The word pakala is derived from Tok Pisin bagarap ("broken"), itself from English bugger up.

Semantic space

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The semantic space of pakala includes destruction, either intentional, such as violence, or unintentional, such as accidents, mistakes, and errors.

seme li pakala e ilo mi

seme li pakala e ilo mi?

Who broke my tool?

pakala li kama e sona sin

pakala li kama e sona sin.

Mistakes bring forth new knowledge.

As an interjection, it is used to express anger, annoyance, irritation, or dissapointment, usually from an accident or mistake. It sometimes is translated into English as a curse expletive, such as fuck, damn, or shit. Note that pakala itself is not a curse word, as it is not culturally taboo.

pakala

pakala!

Dammit!

pu

In the "Official Toki Pona Dictionary" section, the book Toki Pona: The Language of Good defines pakala as:

ADJECTIVE  botched, broken, damaged, harmed, messed up

ku

For Toki Pona Dictionary, respondents in ma pona pi toki pona translated these English words as pakala:

broken⁵81–100% of respondents, destruction⁵81–100% of respondents, mistake⁵81–100% of respondents, damage⁵81–100% of respondents, damn⁴61–80% of respondents, goddamn⁴61–80% of respondents, ruin⁴61–80% of respondents, burst⁴61–80% of respondents, accident⁴61–80% of respondents, destroy⁴61–80% of respondents, heck⁴61–80% of respondents, error⁴61–80% of respondents, hurt⁴61–80% of respondents, injure⁴61–80% of respondents, crash⁴61–80% of respondents, fail⁴61–80% of respondents, harm⁴61–80% of respondents, break⁴61–80% of respondents, failure³41–60% of respondents, fault³41–60% of respondents, injury³41–60% of respondents, flaw³41–60% of respondents, crack³41–60% of respondents, collapse³41–60% of respondents, snap³41–60% of respondents, fuck³41–60% of respondents, fucking³41–60% of respondents, trouble²21–40% of respondents, rip²21–40% of respondents, explode²21–40% of respondents, crush²21–40% of respondents, wound²21–40% of respondents, violate²21–40% of respondents, offense²21–40% of respondents, strike²21–40% of respondents, boom²21–40% of respondents, crap²21–40% of respondents

sitelen pona

The sitelen pona glyph for pakala (󱥈) represents a broken object, possibly a cracked sheet of glass. It has a rectangular shape with a thunderbolt-shaped line drawn vertically through it.

sitelen sitelen

The sitelen sitelen glyph for pakala (pakalapakala) represents a head with teeth bared, as if growling.

Further reading

• "pakala" on lipu Linku
• "pakala" on lipu Wikipesija
• "pakala" on English Wiktionary