toki

toki
Statues depicting two business men talking
Pronunciation	/ˈto.ki/ 🔊 🔊
Usage	2023: Core (100% → )2022: Core (100%)
Book and era	nimi pu
Part of speech	Content word
Codepoint	󱥬 U+F196C

toki is a core content word relating to communication.

Etymology

The word toki is derived from Tok Pisin tok, meaning "word, language", itself from English talk.

Semantic space

One bilinear model of communication

The semantic space of toki includes communication, which can come in many forms. It includes language that is spoken, signed, written, whistled, or in any other modality. It also includes nonverbal communication, such as non-semantic gesture, emoji, or information conveyed through any kind of depiction.

mi toki pona

mi toki pona.

I speak well.

toki sina li ike

toki sina li ike.

Your discussion was bad.

As a transitive verb, it refers to talking about a topic. The indirect object indicates the recipient of the action.

jan sona li toki e ilo tawa mi

jan sona li toki e ilo tawa mi.

The smart person is speaking about machines to me.

Communication does not require an external recipient; it includes intrapersonal communication, such as thought, imagination, and talking or reading to oneself. toki also includes communication from nonhuman creatures, such as from animals or plants, or even signals given by inanimate objects.

toki is typically used as a headnoun for language names.

mi ken toki [ijo ni li ike]

mi ken toki Inli.

I can speak English.

Interjection

The word toki, as an interjection, is the most common greeting phrase for "hello". This is regularly interpreted as an announcement that communication is happening,, or as a wish for or an offer of communication. Less common interpretations include it being an equivalent of "greetings" because to greet someone is to talk to them, and it being a command ("speak!").^{[citation needed]}This claim needs references to reliable sources.

pu

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

VERB  to communicate, say, speak, say, talk, use language, think

ku

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

communicate⁵81–100% of respondents, speak⁵81–100% of respondents, say⁵81–100% of respondents, conversation⁵81–100% of respondents, communication⁵81–100% of respondents, hello⁵81–100% of respondents, speech⁵81–100% of respondents, talk⁵81–100% of respondents, language⁵81–100% of respondents, tell⁵81–100% of respondents, statement⁵81–100% of respondents, hi⁵81–100% of respondents, discuss⁵81–100% of respondents, discussion⁵81–100% of respondents, discourse⁴61–80% of respondents, mention⁴61–80% of respondents, comment⁴61–80% of respondents, refer⁴61–80% of respondents, message⁴61–80% of respondents, express³41–60% of respondents, remark³41–60% of respondents, dialogue³41–60% of respondents, reporting³41–60% of respondents, call³41–60% of respondents, narrative³41–60% of respondents, contact³41–60% of respondents, respond³41–60% of respondents, commentary³41–60% of respondents, disclose³41–60% of respondents, proposal³41–60% of respondents, admit³41–60% of respondents, verbal³41–60% of respondents, tale³41–60% of respondents, story³41–60% of respondents, declare³41–60% of respondents, interview³41–60% of respondents, testify³41–60% of respondents, answer³41–60% of respondents, report³41–60% of respondents, expression³41–60% of respondents, phrase³41–60% of respondents, excuse²21–40% of respondents, hey²21–40% of respondents, response²21–40% of respondents, reply²21–40% of respondents, greet²21–40% of respondents, confess²21–40% of respondents, declaration²21–40% of respondents, interaction²21–40% of respondents, suggest²21–40% of respondents, quote²21–40% of respondents, state²21–40% of respondents, preach²21–40% of respondents, describe²21–40% of respondents, negotiate²21–40% of respondents, specify²21–40% of respondents, claim²21–40% of respondents, feedback²21–40% of respondents, counsel²21–40% of respondents, coverage²21–40% of respondents, proposition²21–40% of respondents, suggestion²21–40% of respondents, accuse²21–40% of respondents, consult²21–40% of respondents

sitelen pona

The sitelen pona glyph for toki (󱥬) is derived from the circle radical with emitters above, depicting an object giving out speech. It was designed in such a way that the preexisting Toki Pona logo would be reverse compatible as a composite glyph for toki pona (toki-ponatoki-pona).

sitelen sitelen

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Further reading

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