What kind of innovation(s) are permissible in tp?

Tinkerers Anonymous: Some people can't help making changes to "fix" Toki Pona. This is a playground for their ideas.
Tokiponidistoj: Iuj homoj nepre volas fari ŝanĝojn por "ripari" Tokiponon. Jen ludejo por iliaj ideoj.
jan Misite
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Dec 28, 2010 6:42 pm

Re: What kind of innovation(s) are permissible in tp?

Post by jan Misite »

I won't argue that Bislama is harder than TP, but what I will say is that TP has allowed me to tolerate informal language better, in natural English and in L2 and ESL speech. It gives you a core of very few words to attack a grammar and larger vocabulary. if you already know English you can try sticking other words in and they may or may not work. Bislama is still a contact language with lots of L2 speakers. It was used exclusively by men until very recently and its country of origin only recently gained independence in 1980.

Another thing Bislama has going for it is Terry Crowley's excellent reference grammar, which has a layout very much like the TP lessons and is very straightforward.
janMato
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Re: What kind of innovation(s) are permissible in tp?

Post by janMato »

jan Misite wrote:Another thing Bislama has going for it is Terry Crowley's excellent reference grammar, which has a layout very much like the TP lessons and is very straightforward.
That is interesting. Writing readable grammars is hard. I'll have to track down his book.
jan Misite
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Dec 28, 2010 6:42 pm

Re: What kind of innovation(s) are permissible in tp?

Post by jan Misite »

I wanted to point out something unusual that didn't apply in the past; with the Internet we have the ability to modify old & new texts LIVE. This came to me because of the use of word filters. Basically to decrypt any text you would have to be current with the lingo in its current form. This might encourage calquing or at least an analytical or isolating grammar, though this could be acceptable. I certainly have quite a few ideas, but fundamentally voting and usage would be key. It would also prevent people from straight up using English--this last bit has been proven.

For instance, if unintentional use of word filters has given us such gems as "buttbuttinate" (from 'assassinate'), what others might we come up with? See also, "manuscript" being filtered to "m****cripting" to inspire the use of "script" as a swear. You would be surprised how Quickly use and adoption follow when people are proud to be able to read whats meant.

I don't mean this is something for TP, but it could be the basis for something else. I can also see the conflation of several terms driving down the number of distinctions in the language a la Newspeak or toki pona, so that people could mess around with certain things if they chose. Of course, keeping a database of underlying forms would allow things to be reversed if a change is repealed but I'm not sure that would be practical data wise.
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