telo

telo
Pronunciation	/ˈte.lo/ (listen)
Usage	2023: Core (100% → ) 2022: Core (100%)
Book and era	nimi pu
Part of speech	Content word
Codepoint	󱥪 U+F196A

telo is a core content word relating to liquids.

Etymology

The word telo is derived from Acadian French de l'eau, meaning "(some) water".

Semantic space

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The semantic space of telo includes liquids and other substances with no fixed shape that conform to the shape of their container. It includes bodies of water, such as ponds, rivers, lakes, and oceans. It also includes viscous substances, such as honey.

It includes wet things, that is, objects and surfaces covered with a liquid. By extension, when used as a transitive verb, it usually refers to causing something to become wet or applying water, such as cleaning (with water) or watering plants.

mi telo e soweli mi　
mi telo e soweli mi.

I wash my pet.

Figuratively, it refers to fluidity, something non-fixed that changes over time or depending on the situation.

pu

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

NOUN  water, liquid, fluid, wet substance; beverage

ku

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

fluid⁵81–100% of respondents, water⁵81–100% of respondents, wet⁴61–80% of respondents, wash³41–60% of respondents, pond³41–60% of respondents, pool³41–60% of respondents, drink²21–40% of respondents, shower²21–40% of respondents, lake²21–40% of respondents

sitelen pona

The sitelen pona glyph for telo represents a wave as two curvy horizontal lines. Compare kon.