This is a linkpost for https://dkl9.net/essays/toki_pona_faq.html

Whenever I start telling someone about toki pona, they ask at least some of these questions. So I compile the questions and my answers here.

Toki pona is a constructed language notable for having under 200 words. The strange writing that probably prompted you to ask me about it is sitelen pona.

How do you say anything with so few words?

You refer to most things with multi-word phrases, where some words act as adjectives or adverbs.

Toki ponaIdiomatic EnglishLiteral Englishilo tokiphonespeech toolmi mutewe/usmany I/menimi mamasurnameancestral namenasa sewimiracledivine odditysona nanpamathsnumber knowledge

Once you know all the words of toki pona, you can combine them to express anything, tho an accurate phrasing can get long.

Did you make it up?

Sonja Lang made it up in 2001.

Is it just a rearrangement of English?

Toki pona has a grammar of its own, which is similar to [...]

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Outline:

(00:26) How do you say anything with so few words?

(01:11) Did you make it up?

(01:17) Is it just a rearrangement of English?

(01:35) Does anyone actually use it?

(01:50) Thats so stupid.

[Linkpost] “Toki pona FAQ” by dkl9

LessWrong (30+ Karma)