tenpo

From sona pona, the Toki Pona wiki
tenpo in sitelen pona
tenpo in sitelen sitelen
Pocket watch on a table
Pocket watch on a table
Pronunciation /ˈten.po/ 🔊 🔊
Usage 2023: Core (100% → )2022: Core (100%)
Book and era nimi pu
Part of speech Content word
Codepoint 󱥫 U+F196B

tenpo is a core content word relating to time.

Etymology[edit | edit source]

The word tenpo is derived from Esperanto tempo, meaning "time", itself from the Romance languages, ultimately from Latin tempus.[1] It is cognate with English tempo, temporal, and tense.

Semantic space[edit | edit source]

The semantic space of tenpo includes periods and moments of time, as well as occasions and situations. It is used as a headnoun in many common time phrases and for many holidays.

mi lukin e ilo tenpo 

mi lukin e ilo tenpo.

I'm looking at the time tool (clock).

pu[edit | edit source]

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

NOUN  time, duration, moment, occasion, period, situation

ku[edit | edit source]

For Toki Pona Dictionary, respondents in ma pona pi toki pona translated these English words as tenpo:[2]

time5, timing4, session4, occasion4, phase4, moment3, date3, circumstance3, hour3, appointment3, scenario3, event2, season2, period2, interval2, situation2, instance2

tenpo dropping[edit | edit source]

tenpo dropping is a style of speech that omits the word tenpo from the head of certain time phrases. For example, the phrase tenpo suno becomes simply suno.

sitelen pona[edit | edit source]

The sitelen pona glyph for tenpo (󱥫) represents an analog clock. It is typically drawn with one hand pointing up, and another pointing right; their relative lengths are unimportant and are usually drawn with the same length.

sitelen sitelen[edit | edit source]

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References[edit | edit source]

  1. Word Origins. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Toki Pona.
  2. Lang, Sonja. (18 July 2021). Toki Pona Dictionary. Illustrated by Vacon Sartirani. Tawhid. ISBN 978-0978292362. p. 362.

Further reading[edit | edit source]