nasin-ale.md

The Frontier (_^TEPAN)

Frontier Toki Pona explores conversions and omissions of words that go beyond their un-controversial definitions in the dictionary and the way these words are used in expressions in Pu. The ultimate goal is to outline a possible nasin that is "pona enough" (pona pona), i.e. a sweet spot between "un-pona" and "too pona" (pona ala and pona ike).*

* _{^{This is subject to personal preference.}}

e

e ijo can be dropped when there is enough context.

	The woman knew.
pona pona	meli li sona e ijo.	PU
→	meli li sona.	PU
→	meli li jo e sona.	TEPAN

	The man was cooking.
pona pona	mije li seli e ijo.	PU
→	mije li pana e seli.	TEPAN

In my nasin, e ijo can't be dropped in context.

	Tell me about your work.
pona pona	o toki e ijo pi pali sina.	TEPAN
pona ike	o toki pi pali sina.	PIJE

li

The first li after a single mi or sina is omitted.

	I worked and played.
pona ala	mi li pali, li musi.	X
pona pona	mi pali, li musi.	KU
pona ike	mi pali. mi musi.	PU

In my nasin, a _^VERB after a secondary li (or o) can be paraphrased as a _{^{LOCATION NOUN}}.

	She worked and listened to music.
pona pona	ona li pali, li kute e kalama musi.	PU
→	ona li pali lon kute pi kalama musi.	TEPAN

o

	Hey Ali, be strong.
pona ala	jan Ali o, o wawa.	X
pona pona	jan Ali o wawa.	PU
→	o wawa, jan Ali o.	TEPAN

mi, sina, ona

Given enough context, a _{^{PERSONAL PRONOUN PHRASE}} can be omitted.

	We went home.
pona pona	mi mute li tawa tomo pi mi mute.	X
→	mi mute li tawa tomo.	PU

lon, tan, tawa

When lon, tan or tawa is used both as a _^PREDICATE and as a _^PREPOSITION one after the other, the _^PREPOSITION is omitted.

	I was in the town.
pona ala	mi lon lon ma tomo.	X
pona pona	mi lon ma tomo.	PU

	I didn't go to the town.
pona ala	mi tawa ala tawa ma tomo.	X
pona pona	mi tawa ala ma tomo.	PU
pona ike	mi tawa ma tomo ala.	MA PONA

	I left the town.
pona ala	mi tan tan ma tomo.	X
pona pona	mi tan ma tomo.	TEPAN
pona ike	mi tawa tan ma tomo.	PU

	Good departure!
pona pona	tan pona!	TEPAN
pona ike	tawa pona!	PU

In my nasin, it is not possible to convert a _^PREPOSITION into a _^NOUN with the meaning of the _^PREPOSITION's _^OBJECT.

	origin
pona pona	mama	TEPAN
pona ike	tan	KU

Location Nouns

In my nasin, there are some additional _{^{LOCATION NOUN}}s.

	There were trees standing around the school.
pona pona	kasi suli li lon nasin sike lon poka pi tomo sona.	TEPAN
→	kasi suli li lon sike pi tomo sona.	TEPAN

In my nasin, one cannot convert a _{^{LOCATION NOUN}} into a _^VERB ...

	You're circling the sun.
pona pona	sina tawa lon nasin sike lon poka suno.	TEPAN
→	sina tawa lon sike suno.	TEPAN
pona ike	sina sike e suno.	KIPO/KU?

	I bought/sold a car.
pona pona	mi pana/kama jo e mani lon esun pi tomo tawa.	TEPAN
pona ike	mi esun e tomo tawa.	KU

... or into a _^PREPOSITION.

	I went with a friend.
pona pona	mi tawa lon poka pi jan pona.	PU
pona ike	mi tawa poka jan pona.	KIPO

In my nasin, it is not possible to convert a _{^{PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE}} into a _^VERB.

	Where did you put the clock next to?
pona ala	sina lon e ilo tenpo lon poka seme?	X
pona pona	sina pana e ilo tenpo lon poka seme?	PU
pona ike	sina lon poka seme e ilo tenpo?	KIPO

In my nasin, a _{^{LOCATION NOUN}} cannot be converted into an _^ADJECTIVE with the meaning of a direction towards somewhere.

	Don't look up!
pona pona	o lukin ala e sewi!	TEPAN
pona ike	o lukin sewi ala!	PIJE

kepeken, sama

In my nasin, only lon, tan, and tawa are _^PREPOSITIONs.

	I use good tools.
pona pona	mi kepeken e ilo pona.	KU
→	mi lon kepeken pi ilo pona.	TEPAN
pona ike	mi kepeken ilo pona.	PU

	You are like a computer.
pona pona	sina lon sama pi ilo sona.	TEPAN
pona ike	sina sama ilo sona.	PU

In my nasin, _{^{MIDDLE VOICE}} and _^PASSIVE must be expressed differently in an idiomatic way.

	A map covered the desk.
pona pona	jan li len e supa sitelen lon kepeken pi lipu ma.	TEPAN
→	lipu ma li (kama) len pi supa sitelen.	TEPAN
pona ike	lipu ma li (kama) len e supa sitelen.	X

	He looks like a bug.
pona pona	ona li lon sama pipi tawa lukin.	TEPAN
pona ike	ona li sama pipi tawa lukin.	PU
→	ona li lukin sama pipi.	PIJE

	My head hurts.
pona pona	lawa mi li pana e pilin ike.	TEPAN
pona ike	lawa mi li pilin ike.	MA PONA

	The apple is being eaten by me.
pona pona	mi moku e kili.	PU
pona ike	kili li ijo moku mi.	X

In my nasin, _^METAPHORs must be expressed as _^SIMILEs.

	That's music to my ears.
pona pona	ni li lon sama pi kalama musi tawa kute mi.	TEPAN
pona ike	ni li kalama musi tawa kute mi.	PU

ala, ale, ijo, ni, seme

In my nasin, ala is not a _^CORRELATIVE, i.e. it doesn't undergo ijo dropping.

	nothing
pona pona	ijo ala	PU
pona ike	ala	KU

_^CORRELATIVEs can also refer to places.

	where
pona pona	lon seme	PU

In my nasin, ni can also mean such, in which case it doesn't undergo ijo dropping.

	such a thing
pona pona	ijo ni	TEPAN
pona ike	ni	X

Relative Clauses

	I see something that you don't see.
pona ala	mi lukin e ijo. sina lukin ala e ijo ni.	X
pona pona	mi lukin e ijo ni: sina lukin ala e ona.	TEPAN
pona ike	mi lukin e ijo pi seme ni: sina lukin ala e ona.	X

	Tell me what you see.
pona ala	sina lukin e seme? o toki e ni tawa mi.	X
pona pona	o toki e ijo ni tawa mi: sina lukin e ona.	TEPAN
pona ike	o toki e ni tawa mi: sina lukin e seme?	X

In my nasin, the relative subject or the relative object of a relative clause can be omitted. Cf. omitting e ijo and yes/no answers.

	I can see the man that I know.
pona pona	mi ken lukin e mije ni: mi sona e ona.	TEPAN
pona ike	mi ken lukin e mije ni: mi sona.	X

	I can see the man that knows me.
pona pona	mi ken lukin e mije ni: ona li sona e mi.	TEPAN
pona ike	mi ken lukin e mije ni: sona e mi.	X

pi

_^CORRELATIVEs don't undergo ijo dropping after pi.

	of everything
pona pona	pi ijo ale	PU

In my nasin, _^ADJECTIVEs that have been converted to _^NOUNs meaning things don't undergo ijo dropping after pi.

	the happening of good things
pona pona	kama pi ijo pona	TEPAN
pona ike	kama pona	X

In my nasin, of that place and that are merged, so that when ijo means place, it is dropped after pi.

	behind that
pona ala	lon monsi pi ijo ni	X
pona pona	lon monsi ni	TEPAN

In my nasin, a _{^{GENITIVE PHRASE}} can't be used as a _^PREDICATE.

	This book is ours.
pona pona	lipu ni li ijo mi.	TEPAN
pona ike	lipu ni li pi mi.	PIJE
→	lipu ni li mi.	X

In my nasin, pi can't be used with a _{^{PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE}} as its argument neither can pi be omitted before such a _{^{PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE}}.

	homeward bounder
pona ala	jan pi tawa: tomo	X
pona pona	jan ni: ona li tawa tomo	TEPAN
→	jan li tawa tomo. ona	PU
pona ike	jan pi tawa tomo	KIPO
→	jan tawa tomo	KU

ijo, ilo, jan

In my nasin, many _^NOUNs are interpreted as _{^{PRO-ADJECTIVE}}s, i.e. they undergo ijo dropping, ilo dropping or jan dropping. (In my nasin, dropped ilo means organ.)

	hard object
pona ala	ijo kiwen	X
pona pona	kiwen	PU

	hard
pona pona	kiwen	TEPAN

	hand
pona ala	ilo luka	X
pona pona	luka	PU

	to touch
pona pona	luka	KU

	originator
pona ala	jan mama	X
pona pona	mama	PU

	to give origin, of origin
pona pona	mama	TEPAN

In my nasin, there is neither tenpo dropping nor sike dropping.

	day
pona pona	tenpo suno	PU
pona ike	suno	KU

	month
pona pona	sike mun	TEPAN
pona ike	mun	KU

In my nasin, there is no nasin dropping.

	law
pona pona	nasin lawa	PU
pona ike	lawa	KU

la

	yesterday
pona ala	lon tenpo suno pini la ...	X
pona pona	tenpo suno pini la ...	PU

	from my perspective
pona pona	tawa mi la ...	PU
pona ike	mi la ...	PIJE, KU

When the la-phrase contains a _{^{SUBORDINATE CLAUSE}} with lon ni:, lon ni: is omitted.

	When the sun was red, it was the right time.
pona ala	lon ni: suno li loje, la tenpo pona li lon.	X
pona pona	suno li loje, la tenpo pona li lon.	PU
→	lon ni la tenpo pona li lon: suno li loje.	X

Otherwise, a _{^{SUBORDINATE CLAUSE}} can only be used at the end of a _^SENTENCE.

	It was raining, so I didn't come.
pona ala	tan ni: telo li kama tan sewi, la mi kama ala.	X
pona pona	tan ni la mi kama ala: telo li kama tan sewi.	TEPAN
→	mi kama ala tan ni: telo li kama tan sewi.	PU
pona ike	telo li kama tan sewi, la mi kama ala.	MA PONA

anu

	Were you able to come?
pona ala	sina ken ala anu ken a kama?	X
pona pona	sina ken ala ken kama?	PU
→	sina ken kama anu seme?	PU

	Yes./No.
pona ala	ken a./ken ala.	X
pona pona	ken./ala.	PU

In my nasin, it is not possible to convert the _^PARTICLE anu into a _{^{CONTENT WORD}}.

	Choose a fruit.
pona pona	o kama wile e kili.	TEPAN
pona ike	o anu e kili.	KU

nimi

	a ship named Abraham Lincoln
pona pona	tomo tawa telo pi nimi Epawan Linkan	TEPAN

In my nasin, it is not possible to prefix a _{^{NOUN PHRASE}} with another _{^{NOUN PHRASE}}.

	The capital Berlin is big.
pona pona	ma tomo Pelin li ma tomo lawa li suli.	PU
pona ike	ma tomo lawa: ma tomo Pelin, li suli.	X

Therefore, it is not possible to re-interpret a _^PREPOSITION as a _^NOUN prefixing a _{^{NOUN PHRASE}} in my nasin.

	Being me the target, it was good. = I liked it.
pona ala	tawa: mi la ona li pona.	X
pona pona	tawa mi la ona li pona.	PU
→	ona li pona tawa mi.	PU

nanpa

In my nasin, _^NUMBERs behave like _^NAMEs. (_^NUMBERs are written in lowercase, though.)

	bus number three
pona pona	tomo tawa kulupu pi nanpa tu wan	PIJE
pona ike	tomo tawa kulupu nanpa tu wan	PU

In my nasin, nanpa can behave like a _^NAME itself. (nanpa as a _^NAME is written in lowercase, though.)

	the third bus
pona ala	tomo tawa kulupu pi nanpa tu wan	PIJE
pona pona	tomo tawa kulupu nanpa tu wan	PU

Pre-Verbs

In my nasin, anpa and moli don't undergo kama dropping.

	dying
pona pona	kama moli	TEPAN
pona ike	moli	PU