wan

wan is a core content word and number word for the number one.

wan
Pronunciation	/wan/
Usage	2023: Core (100% → )2022: Core (100%)
Book and era	nimi pu
Part of speech	Number, content word
Codepoint	󱥳 U+F1973

Etymology

The word wan is derived from English one.

Function and semantic space

The word wan functions primarily as the number word for one. As a modifier, it indicates that the word or phrase it modifies is a single thing. As a head, it may be used to mean a unit, a single object, or the abstract concept of the number one.

mi moku e kili wan　

mi moku e kili wan.

I eat one fruit.

toki-pona la nimi wan li jo e kon suli

toki pona la nimi wan li jo e kon suli.

In Toki Pona, a single word has a broad meaning.

More broadly, the semantic space of wan includes various concepts related to oneness and singularity. For example, it can be used to describe unity, individuality, uniqueness, or the state of being alone, among others. It can refer to both physical unity and social or conceptual unity.

mi tu li awen wan　

mi tu li awen wan.

The both of us will stay together.

mi wile ala wan taso

mi wile ala wan taso.

I don't want to be alone (lit. only one).

Notably, if something consists of multiple smaller individual parts (e.g. a clock consisting of mechanical parts), wan may be used to describe either an individual part (a single cog) or the larger whole (the entire clock), depending on context.

As a transitive verb, wan can be used to mean the act of (actively) uniting or combining multiple things into a bigger whole. A similar intransitive meaning can be expressed with the phrase kama wan.

ona li ken wan e sona-lili mute li ken sona e ijo-suli tan sona ni

ona li ken wan e sona lili mute li ken sona e ijo suli tan sona ni.

They can combine many small pieces of knowledge, and can understand something big from this knowledge.

kon li kama wan la ona li kama kon ante

kon li kama wan la ona li kama kon ante.

When the gas fuses (lit. becomes one) it becomes another gas.

pu

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

ADJECTIVE  unique, united
NUMBER  one

ku

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

one⁵81–100% of respondents, united⁵81–100% of respondents, unity⁵81–100% of respondents, combined⁴61–80% of respondents, unite⁴61–80% of respondents, single⁴61–80% of respondents, unit³41–60% of respondents, blend³41–60% of respondents, combine³41–60% of respondents, union³41–60% of respondents, bind²21–40% of respondents, solo²21–40% of respondents, whole²21–40% of respondents, integration²21–40% of respondents, integrate²21–40% of respondents, component²21–40% of respondents, alone²21–40% of respondents, together²21–40% of respondents, segment²21–40% of respondents, mix²21–40% of respondents, particular²21–40% of respondents, independent²21–40% of respondents, portion²21–40% of respondents, slice²21–40% of respondents, primary²21–40% of respondents, combination²21–40% of respondents, part²21–40% of respondents

sitelen pona

The sitelen pona glyph for wan (󱥳) is derived from the Western Arabic numeral "1".

sitelen sitelen

The sitelen sitelen word glyph for wan (wanwan) is composed of a three-knobbed shape surrounding a single knob shape on a line. The origin of the glyph is unknown, but the knob shape inside might represent a kind of tally mark. Compare the word glyph for tu (tutu).

The word glyph can be rotated to face any direction, but it is usually written with the knobs facing away from the word(s) it modifies (facing right in left-to-right direction, and facing down in top-to-bottom direction).

Like with any monosyllabic word, the word wan may also optionally be written with a syllable glyph (WANWAN).

Further reading

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