Toki Pona

The name of the language has two parts: {{lang|tok|toki}} {{gloss|language}}, derived from Tok Pisin {{lang|tpi|tok}}, which itself comes from English talk; and {{lang|tok|pona}} {{gloss|good, simple}}, from Esperanto {{lang|eo|bona}}, from Latin {{lang|la|bonus}}.{{Cite web |date=2009-09-28 |title=Toki Pona word origins |url=http://en.tokipona.org/wiki/Etymology_of_Toki_Pona_words |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100308091122/http://en.tokipona.org/wiki/Etymology_of_Toki_Pona_words |archive-date=2010-03-08 |website=tokipona.org}}{{Cite web |date=2020-10-08 |title=nimi ale pona (2nd ed.) |url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t-pjAgZDyKPXcCRnEdATFQOxGbQFMjZm-8EvXiQd2Po/edit?usp=sharing |access-date=2024-11-18}} The name {{lang|tok|toki pona}} therefore means 'good language', 'the language of good' and 'simple language', emphasizing that the language encourages speakers to find joy in simplicity.{{Cite web |date=2007-08-24 |title=Babel's modern architects |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-aug-24-sci-conlang24-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103134152/http://articles.latimes.com/2007/aug/24/science/sci-conlang24 |archive-date=2013-01-03 |access-date=2022-03-26 |website=Los Angeles Times}}

One of the language's main goals is a focus on minimalism. It is designed to express maximal meaning with minimal complexity. Like a pidgin, it focuses on simple concepts and elements that are near-universal among cultures.{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2014|p=9}} It has a minimal vocabulary and 14 phonemes devised to be easy to pronounce for speakers of various language backgrounds.{{Cite book |last=Mubin |first=Omar |title=Advances in Natural Language Processing |last2=Bartneck |first2=Christoph |last3=Feijs |first3=Loe |year=2010 |isbn=978-3-642-14769-2 |series=Lecture Notes in Computer Science |volume=LNCS 6233/2010 |pages=250–256 |chapter=Towards the Design and Evaluation of ROILA: A Speech Recognition Friendly Artificial Language |citeseerx=10.1.1.175.6679 |doi=10.1007/978-3-642-14770-8_28 |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221418730 |via=ResearchGate}}

Another goal of Toki Pona is to help its speakers focus on the essentials by reducing complex concepts to basic elements. From these simple notions, more complex ideas can be built up by simple combining. This allows the users to see the fundamental nature and effect of the ideas expressed.

On the basis of the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis, which states that a language influences the way its speakers think and behave,{{Cite web |last=Tomaszewski |first=Zach |date=2012-12-11 |title=A Formal Grammar for Toki Pona |url=http://www2.hawaii.edu/~chin/661F12/Projects/ztomaszewski.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101110606/http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Echin/661F12/Projects/ztomaszewski.pdf |archive-date=2019-11-01 |access-date=2019-09-21 |website=University of Hawai‘i}} Toki Pona was designed to induce positive thinking.{{Cite book |last=Malmkjær |first=Kirsten |title=The Routledge Linguistics Encyclopedia |publisher=Routledge |year=2010 |isbn=9780415424325 |edition=3rd |location=New York |pages=34 |chapter=Artificial languages |oclc=656296619}}

Another aim of the language is for the speakers to become aware of the present moment and pay more attention to the surroundings and the words people use. According to its author, it is meant to be "fun and cute".{{Cite book |last=Okrent |first=Arika |url=https://archive.org/details/inlandofinvented00okre |title=In the Land of Invented Languages |publisher=Spiegel & Grau |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-385-52788-0 |location=New York |chapter=The Klingons, the Conlangers, and the Art of Language – 26. The Secret Vice |url-access=registration}}

Although it was not intended as an international auxiliary language,{{Cite web |last=Yerrick |first=Damian |date=2002-10-23 |title=Toki Pona li pona ala pona? A review of Sonja Kisa's constructed language Toki Pona |url=http://www.pineight.com/tokipona/tpreview.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928014539/http://www.pineight.com/tokipona/tpreview.html |archive-date=2007-09-28 |access-date=2007-07-20 |website=Pin Eight}} a worldwide online community uses it for communication.

Toki Pona was developed by the Canadian linguist{{efn|name=linguist}} and translator Sonja Lang (formerly Sonja Elen Kisa). Born in 1978 in Moncton, New Brunswick,{{Cite web |date=2009-11-15 |title=3-60 - Toki Pona |url=http://en.tokipona.org/wiki/3-60 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20091115031837/http://en.tokipona.org/wiki/3-60 |archive-date=2009-11-15 |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=en.tokipona.org}} Lang grew up in a bilingual family; her mother spoke French, and her father spoke English. During and after her high school years, she became fluent in five languages, including Esperanto. Esperanto was the inspiration for her creation of constructed languages.{{Cite web |date=2014-07-18 |title=AFP 20 - Sonja Lang: Toki Pona, Conlanging, meaning of life |url=https://actualfluency.com/20-sonja-lang-toki-pona-conlanging-meaning-life/ |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Actual Fluency |language=en-US}}

In 2001, Lang was experiencing depression and started working on Toki Pona as a way to simplify her thoughts. In the same year, an early version of the language was published online, and it quickly gained popularity.

{{anchor|Toki Pona: The Language of Good}}

In 2014, Lang released her first book on the language, Toki Pona: The Language of Good,{{Cite magazine |date=2021-02-01 |title=nanpa akesi |url=https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-akesi |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241030134952/https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-akesi/ |archive-date=2024-10-30 |access-date=2024-10-30 |magazine=lipu tenpo |page=3 |language=Toki Pona |issn=2752-4639}}{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2014|p=25}} which features 120 main words, plus 3 words presented as synonyms of these,{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2014|p=140}}{{efn|While some sources consider {{lang|tok|ale}} and {{lang|tok|ali}} separate words,{{Cite journal |last=Fabbri |first=Renato |date=July 2018 |title=Basic concepts and tools for the Toki Pona minimal and constructed language |journal=ACM Transactions on Asian and Low-Resource Language Information Processing |arxiv=1712.09359}} they are just variations of the same word.}} and provides a completed form of the language based on how Lang used the language at the time.{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Simon |date=2018-03-27 |title=Exploring Toki Pona: do we need more than 120 words? |url=https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2018/03/27/toki-pona-invented-language-120-words/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511184141/https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2018/03/27/toki-pona-invented-language-120-words/ |archive-date=2019-05-11 |access-date=2019-02-03 |website=Oxford Dictionaries}}{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2014|p=7}} In 2016, the book was also published in French.

In 2015, YouTuber jan Misali uploaded a series titled 12 Days of {{lang|tok|sona pi toki pona}}, which proved influential{{Cite web |date=2022-11-03 |title=Results of the 2022 Toki Pona census |url=https://tokiponacensus.github.io/results2022/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113153433/https://tokiponacensus.github.io/results2022/ |archive-date=2024-11-13 |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Toki Pona census |language=en}} and was recommended as a learning tool by Sitelen Sitelen creator Jonathan Gabel.{{Cite web |last=Gabel |first=Jonathan |year=2021 |title=toki pona |url=https://jonathangabel.com/toki-pona/about/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002223610/https://www.jonathangabel.com/toki-pona/about/ |archive-date=2 October 2022 |access-date=7 October 2022 |website=jonathangabel.com}}

{{anchor|Toki Pona Dictionary}}

Toki Pona has nine consonants ({{IPA|/p, t, k, s, m, n, l, j, w/}}) and five vowels ({{IPA|/a, e, i, o, u/}}), shown here with the International Phonetic Alphabet symbols. Stress falls on the initial syllable of a word, and it is marked by an increase in loudness, length, or pitch.{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2014|p=13}} There are no diphthongs, vowel hiatus, contrasting vowel length, consonant clusters (except those starting with the nasal coda), or tones. Both its sound inventory and phonotactics are compatible with the majority of human languages, and are therefore readily accessible.

The statistical vowel spread is fairly typical when compared with other languages. Counting each root once, 32% of vowels are {{IPA|/a/}}, 25% are {{IPA|/i/}}, with {{IPA|/e/}} and {{IPA|/o/}} a bit over 15% each, and 10% are {{IPA|/u/}}. The usage frequency in a 10kB sample of texts was slightly more skewed: 34% {{IPA|/a/}}, 30% {{IPA|/i/}}, 15% each {{IPA|/e/}} and {{IPA|/o/}}, and 6% {{IPA|/u/}}.{{Cite web |title=Phoneme frequency table / Ofteco de fonemoj |url=http://bellsouthpwp.net/j/i/jimhenry1973/conlang/tokipona/tokipona.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114085856/http://bellsouthpwp.net/j/i/jimhenry1973/conlang/tokipona/tokipona.htm |archive-date=2007-11-14 |website=lipu pi toki pona pi jan Jakopo}}

Of the syllable-initial consonants, {{IPA|/l/}} is the most common, at 20% total; {{IPA|/k, s, p/}} are over 10%, then the nasals {{IPA|/m, n/}} (not counting final n), with the least common, at little more than 5% each, being {{IPA|/t, w, j/}}. The high frequency of {{IPA|/l/}} and low frequency of {{IPA|/t/}} is somewhat unusual among the world's languages.

The first syllable of a word follows the form (C)V(N), i.e. an optional consonant, a vowel, and an optional final nasal. Subsequent syllables follow the same form, except that the leading consonant is required. Syllables can thus be CV, CVN, V, or VN. As in most languages, CV is the most common syllable type, at 75% (counting each root once).

The following sequences are not allowed: * {{IPA|/wu, wo, ji, ti, wun, won, jin, tin/}}, nor may a syllable's final nasal occur before {{IPA|/m/}} or {{IPA|/n/}} in the same root.

Proper nouns are usually converted into Toki Pona proper adjectives using a set of guidelines. The native, or even colloquial, pronunciation is used as the basis for the subsequent sound conversion. Thus, England or English become {{lang|tok|Inli}} and John becomes {{lang|tok|San}}.{{Cite web |last=Lang |first=Sonja |editor-last=Knight |editor-first=Bryant |title=Phonetic conversion of proper names |url=http://tokipona.net/tp/janpije/tpize.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217125604/http://tokipona.net/tp/janpije/tpize.php |archive-date=2020-02-17 |access-date=2019-01-15 |website=lipu pi jan Pije}}

The nasal at the end of a syllable can be pronounced as any nasal stop, though it is normally assimilated to the following consonant.

Because of its small phoneme inventory, Toki Pona allows for extensive allophonic variation. For example, {{IPA|/p t k/}} may be pronounced {{IPA|[b d ɡ]}} as well as {{IPA|[p t k]}}, {{IPA|/s/}} as {{IPA|[z]}} or {{IPA|[ʃ]}} as well as {{IPA|[s]}}, {{IPA|/l/}} as {{IPA|[ɾ]}} as well as {{IPA|[l]}}, and vowels may be either long or short.

File:AEI Chart.png

Fourteen Latin letters—a, e, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, s, t, u, w—are used to write the language. They have the same values as in the International Phonetic Alphabet: j sounds like English y (as in many Germanic and Slavic languages) and the vowels are like those of Spanish, Modern Greek, or Modern Hebrew. Capital initials are used to mark proper nouns, while Toki Pona roots are always written with lowercase letters, even when they start a sentence.

Besides the Latin alphabet, which is the most common way of writing the language, many alternative writing systems have been developed for and adapted to Toki Pona. Most successful and widespread are two logographic writing systems, Sitelen Pona and Sitelen Sitelen. Both were included in the book Toki Pona: The Language of Good.{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2014|p=96}}

{{Main|Sitelen Pona}}

File:Toki pona sitelen pona.png

File:Toki Pona sitelen pona examples.png

The Sitelen Pona ({{Lit|good/simple writing/drawing}}) writing system was devised as an alternative writing system by Lang herself, and first published in her book Toki Pona: The Language of Good in 2014.{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2014|p=96}} In it each word is represented by its own symbol. It has been described as "a hieroglyphic-like script that makes use of squiggles and other childlike shapes".{{Cite news |date=2019-06-03 |title=Toki Pona – The language of good |url=https://www.pressreader.com/australia/smith-journal/20190603/282660393885733 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020080915/https://www.pressreader.com/australia/smith-journal/20190603/282660393885733 |archive-date=2019-10-20 |access-date=2019-10-20 |work=Smith Journal |location=Melbourne, Australia}}

Symbols representing a single adjective may be written inside or above the symbol for the preceding word that they modify.{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2014|p=119}} The symbol of the language 20px is written in Sitelen Pona, with the symbol 20px ({{lang|tok|pona}}) written inside the symbol 20px ({{lang|tok|toki}}).

File:Sitelen nimi ale.png

Sitelen Sitelen ({{Lit|drawn writing}}), originally known as {{lang|tok|sitelen suwi}} ({{Lit|cute writing}}),{{Cite web |last=Gabel |first=Jonathan |date=2019-10-20 |title=Lesson 1: Welcome |url=https://jonathangabel.com/toki-pona/lesson-1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020145800/https://jonathangabel.com/toki-pona/lesson-1/ |archive-date=2019-10-20 |access-date=2019-10-20 |website=Jonathan Gabel}} is a writing system created by Jonathan Gabel. This more elaborate non-linear system uses two separate methods to form words: logograms representing words and an alphasyllabary for writing the syllables (especially for proper names). The complex artful designs of the glyphs are chosen to help people who use this writing system to slow down and explore how not only the language but also the method of communication can influence their thinking.{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2014|p=66}}

Sitelen Sitelen's overall aesthetics are inspired by US west-coast comix artists such as Jim Woodring and US east-coast graffiti artists such as Kenny Scharf. The designs of many individual characters are inspired by characters and principles from various other writing systems, including Egyptian hieroglyphs, Linear B, Chinese characters, Maya script, Mi'kmaw hieroglyphs, Dongba symbols, as well as early Pagan and Christian signs and symbols.{{Cite web |last=Gabel |first=Jonathan |year=2021 |title=sitelen sitelen acknowledgements and etymology |url=https://jonathangabel.com/toki-pona/acknowledgements/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125111515/https://jonathangabel.com/toki-pona/acknowledgements/ |archive-date=2022-01-25 |access-date=2021-10-22 |website=Jonathan Gabel}}

Toki Pona's word order is subject–verb–object. The word {{lang|tok|li}} introduces predicates, and the word {{lang|tok|e}} introduces direct objects.{{Cite web |title=3. Toki Pona Text – Grammar and Vocabulary |url=https://conlang.org/language-creation-conference/lcc6/lcc6-relay/3-toki-pona-text/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126061134/https://conlang.org/language-creation-conference/lcc6/lcc6-relay/3-toki-pona-text/ |archive-date=2019-01-26 |access-date=2019-01-25 |website=Language Creation Society}}

A noun is followed by its adjectives. Likewise, a verb is followed by its modifiers.

The position of a word in a sentence determines its role. This allows Toki Pona's limited number of words to serve many purposes. Thus, the word {{lang|tok|moku}} when in the verb position means "to eat". But in the noun position, it means "food". As an adjective, it might mean "edible".

Toki Pona has more complicated sentence structures too. Prepositional phrases follow the objects, and {{lang|tok|la}} ends a phrase or clause that comes before the subject to add additional context.

Some roots are grammatical particles, while others are content words with lexical meanings. The content words do not fall into well defined parts of speech; rather, they may be used generally as nouns, verbs, modifiers, or interjections depending on context or their position in a phrase.

A sentence may be an interjection, statement, wish/command, or question.

For example, interjections such as {{lang|tok|a}}, {{lang|tok|ala}}, {{lang|tok|ike}}, {{lang|tok|jaki}}, {{lang|tok|mu}}, {{lang|tok|pakala}}, {{lang|tok|pona}}, {{lang|tok|toki}}, etc. can stand alone as a sentence.

Statements follow the normal structure of subject-predicate with an optional {{lang|tok|la}} phrase at the beginning. The word {{lang|tok|li}} precedes the predicate unless the subject is {{lang|tok|mi}} or {{lang|tok|sina}}. The marker {{lang|tok|e}} comes before direct objects. More {{lang|tok|li}} and {{lang|tok|e}} markers can present more predicates and direct objects respectively. Vocative phrases come before the main sentence and are marked with {{lang|tok|o}} at the end of the phrase, after the addressee.

In commands, the word {{lang|tok|o}} comes before a verb to express a second person command. It can also replace {{lang|tok|li}}, or come after the subjects {{lang|tok|mi}} or {{lang|tok|sina}}, to express wishes.{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2014|p=34}}

There are two ways to form yes–no questions in Toki Pona. The first method is to use the "verb {{lang|tok|ala}} verb" construction in which {{lang|tok|ala}} comes in between a duplicated verb, auxiliary verb, or other predicates. Another way to form a yes–no question is to put {{lang|tok|anu seme?}} ({{Lit|or what?}}) after the phrase being inquired about.{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2014|p=28}} Questions cannot be made by just putting a question mark at the end of a sentence.

Non-polar questions are formed by replacing the unknown information with the interrogative word {{lang|tok|seme}}.

Toki Pona has four basic pronouns: {{lang|tok|mi}} (first person), {{lang|tok|sina}} (second person), {{lang|tok|ona}} (third person), and {{lang|tok|ni}} (demonstrative). Number and gender are not specified by default, but they can be specified with additional modifiers to the pronouns.{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Matthew |date=2007-09-11 |title=Toki Pona: Pronouns unleashed |url=http://www.suburbandestiny.com/?p=239 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420220524/http://www.suburbandestiny.com/?p=239 |archive-date=2019-04-20 |access-date=2019-01-25 |website=My Suburban Destiny}}

With such a small root-word vocabulary, Toki Pona relies heavily on noun phrases, where a noun is modified by a following root, to make more complex meanings. A typical example is combining {{lang|tok|jan}} (person) with {{lang|tok|utala}} (fight) to make {{lang|tok|jan utala}} (fighter, soldier, warrior). {{See below|{{section link||Modifiers}}}}

Nouns do not decline according to number. {{lang|tok|jan}} can mean person, people, humanity, somebody depending on context.

Toki Pona does not use isolated proper nouns; instead, they must modify a preceding noun. For this reason, they may be called "proper adjectives" or simply "proper words" instead of "proper nouns". For example, names of people and places are used as modifiers of the common roots for "person" and "place", e.g. {{lang|tok|ma Kanata}} ({{Lit|Canada land}}) or {{lang|tok|jan Lisa}} ({{Lit|Lisa person}}).

Phrases in Toki Pona are head-initial; modifiers always come after the word that they modify. Therefore, {{lang|tok|soweli utala}} ({{Lit|animal of fighting}}), can be a fighting animal, whereas {{lang|tok|utala soweli}} ({{Lit|fighting of animal}}), can mean animal war.

When a second modifier is added to a phrase, for example {{lang|tok|jan pona mute}}, it modifies all that comes before it, so {{lang|tok|jan pona mute}} might mean many good people, with both {{lang|tok|pona}} (good) and {{lang|tok|mute}} (many) modifying {{lang|tok|jan}} (person). The particle {{lang|tok|pi}} is placed before two or more modifiers to group them into another phrase that functions as a unit to modify the head: In {{lang|tok|jan pi pona mute}}, {{lang|tok|pona mute}} as a unit means much goodness, to together mean very good person. {{lang|tok|mute}} modifies {{lang|tok|pona}}, and {{lang|tok|pona mute}} as a whole modifies {{lang|tok|jan}}.

Demonstratives, numerals, and possessive pronouns come after the head like other modifiers.

Toki Pona does not inflect verbs according to person, tense, mood, or voice, as the language features no inflection whatsoever. Person is indicated by the subject of the verb; time is indicated through context or by a temporal adverb in the sentence.

Prepositions are used in the predicate in place of a regular verb.

Toki Pona has around 120 to 137 words.{{Efn-la|name="wordcount"}} Each is polysemous, and covers a range of similar concepts,{{Cite journal |last=Sinyashchik |first=Anna |date=2018-01-03 |script-title=ru:Коротко и ясно. Как искусственный язык учит фокусироваться на главном |trans-title=Briefly and Clearly. How an Artificial Language Teaches to Focus on What's Important |url=https://focus.ua/ukraine/388398/ |url-status=live |journal=Фокус (Focus) |language=ru |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212132257/https://focus.ua/ukraine/388398/ |archive-date=2019-02-12 |access-date=2019-02-10}} so {{lang|tok|suli}} not only means big or long, but also important. Their use relies heavily on context. To express more complex thoughts, the roots can be combined. For example, {{lang|tok|jan pona}} can mean friend, although it translates to good person, and {{lang|tok|telo nasa}} ({{Lit|strange liquid}}), could be understood to mean alcohol or alcoholic beverage depending on the context. The verb to teach can be expressed by {{lang|tok|pana e sona}} ({{Lit|give knowledge}}). Essentially identical concepts can be described by different words as the choice relies on the speaker's perception and experience.

File:Color mixture.svg.]]

Toki Pona has five words for colors: {{lang|tok|pimeja}} (black), {{lang|tok|walo}} (white), {{lang|tok|loje}} (red), {{lang|tok|jelo}} (yellow), and {{lang|tok|laso}} (blue and green). Although the simplified conceptualization of colors tends to exclude a number of colors that are commonly expressed in Western languages, speakers sometimes may combine these five words to make more specific descriptions of certain colors. For instance, "purple" may be represented by combining {{lang|tok|laso}} and {{lang|tok|loje}}. The phrase {{lang|tok|laso loje}} means "a reddish shade of blue" and {{lang|tok|loje laso}} means "a bluish shade of red".

Toki Pona has words for one ({{lang|tok|wan}}), two ({{lang|tok|tu}}), and many ({{lang|tok|mute}}). In addition, {{lang|tok|ala}} can mean zero, although its meaning is no, none, and {{lang|tok|ale}} ({{Lit|all}}) can express an infinite or immense amount.

The simplest number system uses these five roots to express any amount necessary. For numbers larger than two, speakers would use {{lang|tok|mute}} which means many.

A more complex system expresses larger numbers additively by using phrases such as {{lang|tok|tu wan}} for three, {{lang|tok|tu tu}} for four, and so on. This feature purposely makes it impractical to communicate large numbers. This system, described in Lang's book, also uses {{lang|tok|luka}} ({{Lit|hand}}) to signify five, {{lang|tok|mute}} ({{Lit|many}}) to signify twenty, and {{lang|tok|ale}} ({{Lit|all}}) to signify hundred. For example, using this structure {{lang|tok|ale tu}} would mean 102 and {{lang|tok|mute mute mute luka luka luka tu wan}} would signify 78.{{Cite web |title=Numbers |url=http://tokipona.net/tp/Numbers.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128112058/http://tokipona.net/tp/numbers.aspx |archive-date=2020-01-28 |access-date=2019-01-26 |website=tokipona.net}}

File:BodyTokiPona.jpg roots: {{lang|sh|oko}}, {{lang|sh|usta}}, {{lang|sh|glava}}, {{lang|sh|ruka}}, and {{lang|sh|noga}}.]]

Some words have obsolete synonyms. For example, {{lang|tok|nena}} replaced {{lang|tok|kapa}} (protuberance) early in the language's development for unknown reasons.{{Cite web |last=Knight |first=Bryant |date=2017-08-31 |title=Extinct words |url=http://tokipona.net/tp/janpije/extinctwords.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217124810/http://tokipona.net/tp/janpije/extinctwords.php |archive-date=2020-02-17 |access-date=2019-01-13 |website=lipu pi jan Pije}} Later, the pronoun {{lang|tok|ona}} replaced {{lang|tok|iki}} (he, she, it, they), which was sometimes confused with {{lang|tok|ike}} (bad).{{Cite magazine |date=2023-02-06 |title=nanpa tu |url=https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-tu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241031102250/https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-tu/ |archive-date=2024-10-31 |access-date=2024-10-31 |magazine=lipu tenpo |page=2 |language=Toki Pona |issn=2752-4639}} Similarly, {{lang|tok|ali}} was added as an alternative to {{lang|tok|ale}} (all) to avoid confusion with {{lang|tok|ala}} (no, not) among people who reduce unstressed vowels, though both forms are still used.

Originally, {{lang|tok|oko}} meant eye and {{lang|tok|lukin}} was used as a verb see. In Toki Pona: The Language of Good, the meanings were merged into {{lang|tok|lukin}}, {{lang|tok|oko}} being the alternative.{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2014|p=134}}

Words that were simply removed from the lexicon include {{lang|tok|leko}} (block, stairs), {{lang|tok|monsuta}} (monster, fear), {{lang|tok|majuna}} (old), {{lang|tok|kipisi}} (cut), and {{lang|tok|pata}} (sibling). These words were considered outdated because they were not included in the official book. However, {{lang|tok|oko}}, {{lang|tok|leko}}, {{lang|tok|monsuta}}, and {{lang|tok|kipisi}} retained enough usage in the community that they were re-included in the lexicon as {{lang|tok|nimi ku suli}} in Toki Pona Dictionary.{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2021|p=22}}

Besides {{lang|tok|nena}} and {{lang|tok|ona}}, which replaced existing roots, a few roots were added to the original 118: {{lang|tok|pan}} (grain, bread, pasta, rice), {{lang|tok|esun}} (market, shop, trade), {{lang|tok|alasa}} (hunt, gather), and {{lang|tok|namako}} (extra, additional, spice), another word for {{lang|tok|sin}} (new, fresh).

File:Toki Pona etymologies.png

Most Toki Pona roots come from English, Tok Pisin, Finnish, Georgian, Dutch, Acadian French, Esperanto, and Serbo-Croatian, with a few from Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese).

Many of these derivations are transparent. For example, {{lang|tok|toki}} (speech, language) is similar to Tok Pisin {{lang|tpi|tok}} and its English source talk, while {{lang|tok|pona}} (good, positive), from Esperanto {{lang|eo|bona}}, reflects generic Romance {{lang|fr|bon}}, {{lang|it|buona}}, English bonus, etc. However, the changes in pronunciation required by the simple phonetic system often make the origins of other words more difficult to see. The word {{lang|tok|lape}} (sleep, rest), for example, comes from Dutch {{lang|nl|slapen}} and is cognate with English sleep; {{Lang|tok|kijetesantakalu}} (any animal from the superfamily Musteloidea) from Finnish {{lang|fi|kierteishäntäkarhu}}; {{lang|tok|kepeken}} (use) is somewhat distorted from Dutch {{lang|nl|gebruiken}}, and {{lang|tok|akesi}} from {{lang|nl|hagedis}} (lizard) is scarcely recognizable. (Because *ti is an illegal syllable in Toki Pona, Dutch di becomes si.)

Although only 14 roots (12%) are listed as derived from English, a large number of the Tok Pisin, Esperanto, and other roots are transparently cognate with English, raising the English-friendly portion of the vocabulary to about 30%. The portions of the lexicon from other languages are 15% Tok Pisin, 14% Finnish, 14% Esperanto, 12% Serbo-Croatian, 10% Acadian French, 9% Dutch, 8% Georgian, 5% Mandarin, 3% Cantonese; one root each from Welsh, Tongan (an English borrowing) and Akan, four phonesthetic roots (two which are found in English, one from Japanese, and one which was made up); and one other made-up root (the grammatical particle {{lang|tok|e}}).

File:Toki pona signs.png

Signed Toki Pona, or {{lang|tok|toki pona luka}}, is a manually coded form of Toki Pona. Each word and letter has its own sign, which is distinguished by the handshape, location of the hand on the body, palm or finger orientation, and the usage of one or both hands. Most signs are performed with the right hand at the required location. A few signs, however, are performed with both hands in a symmetrical way. To form a sentence, each of the signs is performed using the grammar and word order of Toki Pona.{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2014|p=134}}

A more naturalistic constructed sign language called {{lang|tok|luka pona}} also exists, and is more widely used in the Toki Pona community than {{lang|tok|toki pona luka}}. It is a separate language with its own grammar, but has a vocabulary that generally parallels Toki Pona. {{lang|tok|luka pona}}'s signs have increased iconicity as compared to {{lang|tok|toki pona luka}}, and many signs are loan-words from natural sign languages. Its grammar is subject-object-verb, and, like natural sign languages, it makes use of classifier constructions and signing space.{{Cite web |title=luka pona li seme? |url=https://lukapona.blogspot.com/2021/04/luka-pona-li-seme.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515170532/https://lukapona.blogspot.com/2021/04/luka-pona-li-seme.html |archive-date=2021-05-15 |access-date=2022-01-01 |website=lukapona.blogspot.com |language=en-GB}}{{Cite magazine |date=2021-02-01 |title=nanpa akesi |url=https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-akesi |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241030134952/https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-akesi/ |archive-date=2024-10-30 |access-date=2024-10-30 |magazine=lipu tenpo |page=4 |language=Toki Pona |issn=2752-4639}} In Toki Pona Dictionary, Sonja Lang recommends learning {{lang|tok|luka pona}} instead of {{lang|tok|toki pona luka}}.{{sfn|group=†|Lang|2021|p=11}}

The language is fairly well known among Esperantists, who often offer courses and conversation groups at their meetups. In 2007, Lang said that at least 100 people speak Toki Pona fluently and estimated that a few hundred have a basic knowledge of the language.{{Cite news |last=Marsh |first=Stefanie |date=2007-09-06 |title=Now you're really speaking my language |work=The Times |location=London, England |page=2}} One-hour courses of Toki Pona were taught on various occasions by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during their Independent Activities Period.

The language is used mainly online on social media, in forums, and other online groups. Users of the language are spread out across multiple platforms. A Yahoo! group existed from about 2002 to 2009, when it moved to a forum on a phpBB site.{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Matthew |date=2018-03-11 |title=Conlang SE |url=http://fakelinguist.wakayos.com/?p=861 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112190751/http://fakelinguist.wakayos.com/?p=861 |archive-date=2019-11-12 |access-date=2019-10-20 |website=Fake languages by a fake linguist}}{{Cite web |date=2019-10-20 |title=tokipona Toki Pona |url=http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tokipona/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430061813/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tokipona/ |archive-date=2013-04-30 |access-date=2019-10-20 |website=Yahoo! Groups}} For a short time there was a Wikipedia written in Toki Pona (called {{lang|tok|lipu Wikipesija}}). It was closed in 2005{{Cite magazine |last=van Steenbergen |first=Jan |year=2018 |title=A new era in the history of language invention. |url=https://www.linguapax.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Linguapax_Review_2018_revisio%CC%81MC-complet-1.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220424225844/https://www.linguapax.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Linguapax_Review_2018_revisio%CC%81MC-complet-1.pdf |archive-date=2022-04-24 |access-date=2020-07-09 |magazine=Linguapax Review |page=154 |volume=6 |quote=In the past, there have been Wikipedia editions in Toki Pona and Klingon as well, but both were closed and deleted in 2005.}} and moved to Wikia/Fandom, and then moved from Fandom to an independent website on 23 April 2021.{{Cite web |date=23 April 2021 |title=lipu open |url=https://wikipesija.org/wiki/lipu_open |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220720193229/https://wikipesija.org/wiki/lipu_open |archive-date=20 July 2022 |access-date=10 May 2021 |website=Wikipesija}}{{Cite magazine |date=2021-06-02 |title=nanpa pan |url=https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-pan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241030133355/https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-pan/ |archive-date=2024-10-30 |access-date=2024-10-30 |magazine=lipu tenpo |page=2 |language=Toki Pona |issn=2752-4639}}{{Cite magazine |date=2023-11-01 |title=nanpa sin |url=https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-sin |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241031121249/https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-sin/ |archive-date=2024-10-31 |access-date=2024-10-31 |magazine=lipu tenpo |page=5 |language=Toki Pona |issn=2752-4639}}

The largest groups exist on Facebook, Discord, and Reddit. Two large groups exist on Facebook: one designated for conversation in Toki Pona and English, and the other for conversation in only Toki Pona.{{Cite journal |last=Knežević |first=Nenad |year=2018 |title=Constructed languages in the whirlwind of the digital revolution |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328135114 |journal=Језик, књижевност и технологија (Jezik, književnost i tehnologija) / Language, Literature and Technology: Proceedings from the Sixth International Conference at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, 19–20 May 2017 |publisher=Алфа БК универзитет (Alfa BK univerzitet) |pages=16 |isbn=978-86-6461-023-0 |via=ResearchGate}} The former of the two is the more popular.

Memrise has user-created materials for learning Toki Pona.{{Cite news |last=Bramley |first=Ellie Violet |date=8 January 2015 |title=What happened when I tried to learn Toki Pona in 48 hours using memes |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/08/toki-pona-invented-language-memrise |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115224633/https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/08/toki-pona-invented-language-memrise |archive-date=15 November 2023 |access-date=25 March 2024 |work=The Guardian |location=London |quote=Only around 100 people in the world understand this language. This is Toki Pona, created in 2001 by Sonja Lang, a Toronto-based linguist, and I’m one of a group of 17 who recently took on a challenge to learn it in 48 hours. [...] To attempt it, we gathered in the East London warehouse that is the head office of Memrise, an online platform for language-learning.}}

In-person meetups have been organized by the community, including in Vienna,{{Cite magazine |date=2022-10-17 |title=nanpa kulupu |url=https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-kulupu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241031105845/https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-kulupu/ |archive-date=2024-10-31 |access-date=2024-10-31 |magazine=lipu tenpo |page=2 |language=Toki Pona |issn=2752-4639}} Maastricht,{{Cite magazine |date=2023-08-24 |title=nanpa ma |url=https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-ma |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241031110302/https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-ma/ |archive-date=2024-10-31 |access-date=2024-10-31 |magazine=lipu tenpo |page=2 |language=Toki Pona |issn=2752-4639}} Berlin,{{Cite magazine |date=2024-09-07 |title=nanpa lawa |url=https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-lawa |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241101185415/https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-lawa/ |archive-date=2024-11-01 |access-date=2024-11-01 |magazine=lipu tenpo |page=3 |language=Toki Pona |issn=2752-4639}} and Amsterdam.{{Cite magazine |date=2025-02-28 |title=nanpa kala |url=https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-kala |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250304143138/https://liputenpo.org/lipu/nanpa-kala/ |archive-date=2025-03-04 |access-date=2025-03-04 |magazine=lipu tenpo |page=3 |language=Toki Pona |issn=2752-4639}}

{{wikisourceWiki|toki pona}}

File:Logo of lipu tenpo.png

There are a few published books and many other works in Toki Pona. Most of the published works are language-learning books for beginners like {{lang|tok|akesi seli lili}} and {{lang|tok|meli olin moli}}. Many other works are translations of original literature in other languages.

Starting in 2020, a group has been working on and publishing a zine in Toki Pona called {{lang|tok|lipu tenpo}} ({{Lit|book of time}}), and it is officially registered as a zine in the United Kingdom.{{Cite web |date=1 February 2021 |title=jan pali |url=https://liputenpo.org/about/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508172852/https://liputenpo.org/about/ |archive-date=8 May 2022 |access-date=10 May 2021 |website=lipu tenpo |publisher=kulupu pi lipu tenpo}}{{Cite web |title=ISSN 2752-4639 (Online) |url=https://portal.issn.org/resource/ISSN/2752-4639 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125115641/https://portal.issn.org/resource/ISSN/2752-4639 |archive-date=2023-01-25 |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=portal.issn.org}}

File:Sitelen sitelen contract.jpg

An original poem about time by {{lang|tok|jan Jasun}}, which won first place in a 2023 poetry contest.{{Cite web |last=jan Jasun |date=2023 |title=tenpo li lili |url=https://utala.pona.la/toki-en-lipu/toki-lili.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516225646/https://utala.pona.la/toki-en-lipu/toki-lili.html#tenpo-li-lili |archive-date=2024-05-16 |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=utala musi pi ma pona}}

{{Poem quote|

| text = {{lang|tok|ona li wawa li lawa li tawa

ali la ona li ken awen ala

ona li mute li suli li lon

li kama e moli

li weka e kon

tenpo

li lili

e musi e mi

e ken pali ali pi jan pali ni

tenpo li moku e tenpo mi sona

mi wile e tenpo tan wile mi pona

}}

| style = text-align: center;

}}

File:Sitelen_open_pi_lipu_Siddhartha.png

The opening lines of {{lang|tok|jan Sitata}} by {{langr|tok|jan Kala}},{{cite book |last=Hesse |first=Hermann |author-link=Hermann Hesse |url=https://wikisource.org/wiki/Jan_Sitata/lipu_nanpa_wan/jan_lili_pi_jan_sona_sewi |title=jan Sitata |date=2022 |translator-last=jan Kala |chapter=jan lili pi jan sona sewi}} a 2022 Toki Pona translation of the novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, follow below. The text uses interpuncts as markers for end of the sentence.

{{Blockquote

|text={{lang|tok|jan Sitata li sama waso alasa li pona lukin li jan lili pi jan sona sewi · ona en jan sama Kowinta pi jan sona sewi ante li kama suli lon pimeja tomo, lon suno pi telo linja, lon poka pi tomo tawa telo, lon pimeja pi ma kasi Sawa, lon pimeja pi kasi kili · jan Sitata li lon telo la ona li pana sewi li telo e sijelo kepeken nasin sewi · suno li pimeja lili e selo walo ona · jan Sitata li lon ma kasi kili la kasi li pimeja e lukin ona · ona li musi li kute e kalama pi mama meli ona · ona li nasin sewi li kute e toki pi mama sona ona ·}}

}}

Back-translation in English:

{{Blockquote

|text=Siddhartha was like a bird of prey, handsome, and the child of a religious scholar. He and his fellow Govinda, who was from another religious scholar, grew up in the shade of the house, in the sun of the river, near the boats, in the shade of the Salwald forest, in the shade of the fruit tree. When Siddhartha was in the water, he gave sacred offerings and washed himself in the holy manner. The sun tanned his pale skin. When Siddhartha was in the fruit tree grove, the trees shaded his eyes. He played, and heard the song of his mother. He followed the sacred ways, and listened to the teachings of his learned father.

}}

{{Portal|Constructed languages}}

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{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Reflist|group=†}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite book |last=Lang |first=Sonja |author-link=Sonja Lang |title=Toki Pona: The Language of Good |publisher=Tawhid |year=2014 |isbn=978-0978292300 |oclc=921253340}}
• {{cite book |last=Lang |first=Sonja |title=Toki Pona : la langue du bien |publisher=Tawhid |year=2016 |isbn=978-0978292355 |language=fr |trans-title=Toki Pona: The Language of Good}}
• {{cite book |last=Lang |first=Sonja |url=https://www.amazon.de/s?k=sprache+des+guten+toki+pona&ref=nb_sb_noss |title=Toki Pona: Die Sprache des Guten |year=2021 |isbn=979-8770755251 |publication-date=2021-12-01 |language=de |translator-last=Strake |translator-first=Julius |trans-title=Toki Pona: The Language of Good |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Lang |first=Sonja |title=Tokipono: La lingvo de bono |publisher=Tawhid |year=2022 |isbn=978-0978292355 |publication-date=2022-10-01 |language=eo |translator-last=van der Meulen |translator-first=Spencer |trans-title=Toki Pona: The Language of Good}}

• {{cite book |last=Lang |first=Sonja |title=Toki Pona Dictionary |publisher=Tawhid |others=Illustrated by Vacon Sartirani |year=2021 |isbn=978-0978292362}}

• {{cite book |last=Lang |first=Sonja |author-link=Sonja Lang |title=The Wonderful Wizard of Oz |date=2024 |publisher=Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp |isbn=978-0-9782923-7-9 |edition=Toki Pona}}

• {{cite book |last=Cárdenas |first=Eliazar Parra |title=Toki pona en 76 ilustritaj lecionoj |publisher=Espero |year=2013 |isbn=978-80-89366-20-0 |location=Partizánske, Slovakia |language=eo |translator-last=Blahuš |translator-first=Marek |trans-title=Toki Pona in 76 illustrated lessons}}
• {{cite book |title=Toki Pona Stories: akesi seli lili |year=2020 |isbn=979-8637271252 |trans-title=The Little Dragon}}
• {{cite book |last=Samys |first=Ret |url=https://janketami.wordpress.com/2021/06/13/ma-pi-kulupu-tu-toki-pi-nasin-sina/2/ |title=ma pi kulupu tu |date=2021-09-06 |publisher=Holtzbrinck Publishing Group |isbn=9783754161654 |location=Berlin, Germany |language=de |trans-title=The Land of Two Peoples |access-date=2022-06-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627001747/https://janketami.wordpress.com/2021/06/13/ma-pi-kulupu-tu-toki-pi-nasin-sina/2/ |archive-date=2022-06-27 |url-status=live}}
• {{cite book |last=Samys |first=Ret |url=https://janketami.wordpress.com/2021/06/13/ma-pi-kulupu-tu-toki-pi-nasin-sina/ |title=ma pi kulupu tu |date=2021-09-06 |publisher=Holtzbrinck Publishing Group |isbn=9783754161647 |location=Berlin, Germany |language=en |trans-title=The Land of Two Peoples |access-date=2022-06-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627001751/https://janketami.wordpress.com/2021/06/13/ma-pi-kulupu-tu-toki-pi-nasin-sina/ |archive-date=2022-06-27 |url-status=live}}

{{Refend}}

{{Sister project links|auto=true|q=Toki Pona proverbs}}

• {{Official website}}
• [https://jan-ne.github.io/tp/dictionary Official Toki Pona dictionary] from The Language of Good
• [https://wikipesija.org/wiki/lipu_open {{lang|tok|lipu Wikipesija}}], a wiki-based encyclopedia written in Toki Pona
• [https://sona.pona.la {{lang|tok|sona pona}}], a wiki about Toki Pona
• [https://liputenpo.org {{lang|tok|lipu tenpo}}], a zine in Toki Pona

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