sitelen sitelen

This article needs work. If you know about this topic, you can help us by editing it. (See all)

sitelen sitelen (also known as sitelen suwi) is a logographic writing system for Toki Pona, created by Jonathan Gabel around 2006.^[1] It is one of the two non-Latin writing systems featured in Toki Pona: The Language of Good, alongside sitelen pona. The overall style of sitelen sitelen was inspired by United States west-coast comix and east-coast graffiti, while the word shapes themselves are often taken from hieroglyphs or religious symbols.^[2]

sitelen sitelen is non-linear in nature: instead of a straight row, words are arranged in blocks reminiscent of comic strips. Prepositions and part-of-sentence marking particles wrap around their contents, similarly to sitelen pona's cartouches.

Glyphs

Word glyphs

Aside from tonsi, which was added in 2020, Gabel designed the glyphs for nimi ku suli in collaboration between lon Jawin, jan Pensa, and jan Saki, with feedback from Nundrum, Skymandr, and jan Temili.

↑ Original glyph, now deemed alternative

Syllable glyphs

sitelen sitelen includes an alphasyllabary that is used to write names. It is also used for the words pu and ku, which lack their own word glyphs.

Null coda	a	e	i	o	u	Coda -n	an	en	in	on	un
∅	a	e	i	o	u	∅…n	an	en	in	on	un
j	ja	je	–	jo	ju	j…n	jan	jen	–	jon	jun
k	ka	ke	ki	ko	ku	k…n	kan	ken	kin	kon	kun
l	la	le	li	lo	lu	l…n	lan	len	lin	lon	lun
m	ma	me	mi	mo	mu	m…n	man	men	min	mon	mun
n	na	ne	ni	no	nu	n…n	nan	nen	nin	non	nun
p	pa	pe	pi	po	pu	p…n	pan	pen	pin	pon	pun
s	sa	se	si	so	su	s…n	san	sen	sin	son	sun
t	ta	te	–	to	tu	t…n	tan	ten	–	ton	tun
w	wa	we	wi	–		w…n	wan	wen	win	–

Punctuation glyphs

Glyph	Name	sitelen Lasina
	Period	.
	Comma	,
	Exclamation	!
	Question	?
	Colon	:
	Cartouche	"　"
	Capsule	"　"

Writing

Glyph density

o ante e kulupu lili, written as syllable glyphs in 3 different sizes

When written at smaller sizes where they would otherwise be too dense, glyphs can be simplified. The drawing dictionary presents each word glyph at large and small sizes to give examples for how details can be removed while staying recognizable.

Notable works

lipu lawa pi esun kama, a sitelen sitelen contract describing the sale of itself

The poem seme li mi in sitelen sitelen by jan Alonola, published in the first issue of lipu tenpo in 2021.

lipu lawa pi esun kama

jan Mato wanted to test whether artificial languages were suited for sales contracts.^[3] In 2009, Gabel followed through on Mato's challenge, negotiating with him mainly in Toki Pona^[4] and creating "lipu lawa pi esun kama: a contract for future sales". Written in sitelen sitelen, the contract describes the sale of itself for $100 USD to jan Mato.^[5]

Afterwards, Mato reflected on the experiment, providing his opinions on Toki Pona's suitability for contracts and business.^[6]

nasin nasa

nasin nasa by Vacon Sartirani is a surreal webcomic about weird creatures on a weird planet, written entirely in sitelen sitelen. The first chapter came out in June 2019, and no new chapters have come out since the 5th chapter in May 2020. It is available for free on Tapas and on Webtoon. (Note: it has erotic themes, gore, assault, and other potentially disturbing visuals.)

meli lili pi len loje

In 2019 jan Same released a translation of The Little Red Riding Hood from the brothers Grimm in four different writing systems, including sitelen sitelen. It can be found here.

lipu tenpo

Since its first issue in February 2021, almost every issue of the monthly webzine lipu tenpo includes a poem written in sitelen sitelen, alongside the same poem written in the Latin alphabet.

External links

References

↑ https://www.jonathangabel.com/toki-pona/kama-pona/
↑ https://jonathangabel.com/toki-pona/acknowledgements/
↑ [1]
↑ [2]
↑ Jonathan Gabel (August 2, 2012). lipu lawa pi esun kama.
↑ [3]

[3] Original glyph, now deemed alternative

[1] ttps://www.jonathangabel.com/toki-pona/kama-pona/

[2] ttps://jonathangabel.com/toki-pona/acknowledgements/

[4] [1]

[5] [2]

[6] Jonathan Gabel (August 2, 2012). lipu lawa pi esun kama.

[7] [3]

[1]

[2]

[a]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]