Mneumonics for minimal pairs

Language learning: How to speak Toki Pona, translation problems, advice, memory aids, tools and methods to learn Toki Pona and other languages faster
Lingva lernado: Kiel paroli Tokiponon, tradukproblemoj, konsiloj, memoraj helpiloj, iloj kaj metodoj por pli rapide lerni Tokiponon kaj aliajn lingvojn
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janMato
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Mneumonics for minimal pairs

Post by janMato »

Here is my first shot at some mnemonics for minimal pairs. Given how often I confuse these in tokipona, I boggle at how I can distinguish pit, pot, pat, pet, pout or sit, set, sat, seat, sight, sot, sought, soot with out nearly so much effort. Suggestions, alternatives, improvements?

(and did I manage to confuse the minimal pairs again in drawing up this list?!)

ala/ale/ali
ala : A law is *not* to be broken. A is for antonym.
ale : All of us love *ale* (but pronounced ah-lay). E is for everything.
ali : The boxer Mohamad Ali was loved by *all* his fans. I is for infinity.

ken/kin
ken: Ken is able to do that. E is for enable.
kin: My kin are *very* strange. I is for indeed.

poka/poki
poka: poka-mon live in a nearby neighborhood. A is for accompaniment.
poki: poki come in a box. I is for ice-box.

ilo/ijo
ilo: P*illow* is a tool for sleeping. L is for lever.
ijo: EO is an acronym for everyday object. J is for junk.

seli/selo
seli: I'm selling fire to the cavemen/ I is for incidiary.
selo: O is for outside.

sewi/suwi
sewi: e is for ecclesiastical.
suwi: Candy is su-weet. u is for unhealthy.

uta/utala
uta : ??
utala : UT (utah) is not (ala) at war.

unpa/anpa
unpa- U is for ... come on folk, help me out. Suggestions?
anpa- The ground is under *a(n) paw*. A is for ...

lupa/uta I confuse these because they're too close in meaning. Hole vs largest hole in ones head.
uta- Words come ut-a (out of) your mouth.
lupa- There is a hole in a loop(a).

pakala/utala
pakala: Pack is not broken
utala: UT (utah) is not (ala) at war.

pali/palisa
pali- The buddha did all his work speaking Pali.
palisa- ...

pan/pana
pan- The bread is in the pan
pana- Give the "pan a" scrubbing. A is for ... hmm dunno.
janKipo
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Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 2:20 pm

Re: Mneumonics for minimal pairs

Post by janKipo »

Goes OK for a while, but Pokemon surely just confuses matters and "poki comes in a box" doesn't do anything. You might try "poke in the ribs" but that points both ways -- or neither. The etymology helps? 'poki' from 'poksi' Tok Pisan for "box" ("pig in a poke" doesn't help either). Esperanto (not that I am recommending it) helps with 'ilo'. The 'sel-' setr is good but you might also consider "selo-phane goes around the outside of things" (fairly grim, but these are desperate times). For 's-wi' "E is for elevate" (ecclesiastical comes much latter) 'uta' is where you utta wuhds (Arlington may be the wrong place for that joke). utala is utterly the last choice. The obvious u for unpa is the second letter of four, it comes from getting it up (not down -- although, ...) A is for abyss or antipodes -- which are down under.
janMato
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Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 12:21 pm
Location: Takoma Park, MD
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Re: Mneumonics for minimal pairs

Post by janMato »

sona sin sina li pona tawa mi. tempo kama la mi li namako e ona tawa sitelen mi.
janKipo wrote:Goes OK for a while, but Pokemon surely just confuses matters and "poki comes in a box" doesn't do anything..
poki, chocolate covered pretzel sticks. Sold only in Japan and some manga book stores in the US.
Image
janKipo
Posts: 3064
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 2:20 pm

Re: Mneumonics for minimal pairs

Post by janKipo »

a! ma ante, sona ante.
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