poka
  | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈpo |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Core (99% ↗︎ )2022: Core (98%) |
| Book and era | nimi pu |
| Part of speech | Content word |
| Codepoint | U+F1952 |
| Part of a series on |
| Front view |
| Side view |
| Left and right · noka vs. anpa |
poka is a core content word, used as a spatial word, relating to something physically on the side.
Etymology
The word poka is derived from Croatian bok, meaning "side, flank".[1]
Semantic space
The semantic space of poka includes the sides and vicinity of something. In relation to the human body, it usually refers to the hips.
When used as a spatial word, poka includes things that are physically beside or surrounding (but not enclosing) something, and is extended to refer to anything nearby. This sense is an antonym to weka, which describes the far-removed.
pu
In the "Official Toki Pona Dictionary" section, the book Toki Pona: The Language of Good defines poka as:
NOUN hip, side; next to, nearby, vicinity
ku
For Toki Pona Dictionary, respondents in ma pona pi toki pona translated these English words as poka:[2]
side5, hip4, beside3, aside3, closely2, left (not right)2, sidebar2, alongside2
sitelen pona
The sitelen pona glyph for poka () is derived from the open box radical with a location dot placed besides it. Compare the glyphs for anpa, insa, monsi, sinpin, as well as the secular version of sewi.
sitelen sitelen
The poka glyph in sitelen sitelen was originally designed to be usable as a container, reflecting the now outdated pre-pu usage of poka as a preposition.[3] (See the section below.)
Historical usage
In pre-pu Toki Pona, poka was used as a preposition meaning "with" or "in the accompaniment of".[4] Before its 2015 update, jan Pije's course taught it as synonymous with lon poka (pi):[3][5]
Unlike anpa and the rest, poka can also be used directly as a preposition. These two sentences below have the same meaning, but you go about them in a different way:
- mi moku poka jan pona mi. -- I ate beside my friend.
- mi moku lon poka pi jan pona mi. -- I ate at side of my friend.
This usage is now almost completely unused and considered archaic.
References
- ↑ "Word Origins". tokipona.org. Archived from the original on 8 August 2002.
- ↑ Lang, Sonja. (18 July 2021). Toki Pona Dictionary. Illustrated by Vacon Sartirani. Tawhid. ISBN 978-0978292362. p. 330.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jonathan Gabel. (25 July 2020). "poka anu lon poka?". sitelen sitelen. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ↑ "Classic Word List". tokipona.net. Archived from the original on 8 January 2013.
- ↑ jan Pije. "Lesson 7: Other Prepositions". o kama sona e toki pona!. Archived from the original on 6 June 2007.
Further reading
- "poka" on lipu Linku
- "poka" on lipu Wikipesija
- "poka" on English Wiktionary