Contionary:Toki Pona/kiki

Toki Pona

Glyph origin

Template:Tok-sitelen The main glyph represents a pointy shape derived from the image used on the bouba/kiki effect study. The alternative is derived analogously with the words tok ("sike") → [[Contionary:{{{3}}}|{{{3}}}]] ("{{{4}}}") and tok ("leko") → [[Contionary:{{{3}}}|{{{3}}}]] ("{{{4}}}").

Etymology

From the nonce word mul ("kiki") → [[Contionary:{{{3}}}|{{{3}}}]] ("{{{4}}}"), from the 2001 study which coined the bouba/kiki effect conducted by V. S. Ramachandran and Edward Hubbard.

Adjective

Toki Pona/kiki

1. sharp or pointy
   • 2022 October 6, kulupu lintukamakaki, “kasi kiki”, in mun monsuta‎^[1], archived from the original on 7 October 2022, page 30:

     kasi kiki mute li lon poka nasin ale lon ma kasi.

     There are many thorny bushes next to the paths in the forest.

Noun

Toki Pona/kiki

1. that which is sharp or pointy; for example, a spike, angle, point

Verb

Toki Pona/kiki

1. (intransitive, transitive) to be or make sharp or pointy
   • 2021 August 2, kili Melon, “ma li tawa la jan o seme”, in lipu tenpo‎^[2], number 6, →ISSN, archived from the original on 2 March 2026, page 7:

     o weka tan kiwen pi kule ala. ona li pakala la ona li kiki li ken pakala e sina.

     Stay away from glass. If it breaks, it is sharp and can hurt you.

Further reading

• Template:R:tok:LL