Oligosynthetic Toki Pona

toki a jan ale o!

tokojanale!

Linguists like to push against the idea that any two languages are more complicated than one another. This could be seen to be in conflict with Toki Pona's claim of simplicity and lack of complexity. To be fair to Toki Pona, unlike a natural language - it specifically limits both it's lexicon and grammar - thus to be artificially smaller than natural languages.

However, one aspect of Toki Pona simplicity often goes un-examined: grammar simplicity. Toki Pona is maximally isolating and analytic - with zero synthesis whatsoever. This means that no new words can be formed from component parts, with all grammar being done by word order (with the help of marker particals.

I want to flip this on it's head, mostly for fun, and to test the limits of this language. I want to make Toki Pona maximally synthetic, while keeping most of everything else the same. Thus the goals will be:

• Root word list is the same as the base language. This goes for nimi-sin also, with user discretion advised.
• Phonology and phonotatics remains the same, with similar rules in place.
• Be easily translatable to and from Toki Pona via simple conversion.

I will be drawing loose inspiration from synthetic languages, which often have very complex verbs, though no specific language. I will centre the verb - and make as much as possible to be affixes to the verb. 

RULE 1 - Front the Verb

Easy enough.

• mi moku e kili.
• moku...

RULE 2 - e Suffix

This works as you would expect. In cases where it contacts another vowel, it over-writes that vowel in multi-syllable verbs. But in single syllable verbs, it gains a [j-]. 

• mi moku e kili.
• moke...

RULE 3 - Noun Incorporation and Crunching

If we left all words at their present size it words would grow out of control, and would just be a form of long run on sentence. Instead all non-verb parts of a verb get reduced down to a single syllable, sometimes a single letter.

• mi moku e kili. 
• mokeki...

Rule 4 - Pronominals

 These get crunched to single consonants:

• mi => m / mi
• sina => s / si
• ona => n / na / on

These can overwrite final [-n].

Rule 5 - VSO

Simple enough, the standard order is VSO, except the subject and object are in the verb.

• mi moku e kili.
• mokumeki.

And we have our first full sentence! But what about non-pronominal subjects?

Rule 6 - en Suffix

This marks a subject suffix about to be incorporated. Same over-writing rules as [e], but gains [w-] instead of [j-].

• jan li moku.
• mokenjan
  
  
• jan li moku e kili.
• mokenjaneki.

Rule 6 - o suffix - imperative

Imperatives are quite simple, o is now a suffix. It goes at the end of the whole verb.

It must always be it's own syllable. It can either do this by "uncrunching" the last incorporation OR it can be added as "jo".

• o moku e kili.
• mokuekilo.

Rule 7 - o suffix - vocative

Similarly, internal o is vocative.

• toki, jan ale o!
• tokojanale!

Rule 8 - Prepositions

• kepeken = k(e)
• lon => l(o)
• sama => s(a)
• tan => nt(a)
• tawa = t(a)

So

• mi pali kepeken ilo.
• palimkilo.
  
  
• mi pali lon tomo.
• palimlotomo.
  
  
• mi lukin sama sina.
• lukimisasi.
  
  
• mi kama tan ma ante.
  kamamintamante.

Rule 9 - Preverbs

These remain as preverbs.

• mi sona pali e ilo ni.
• sonapalimeloni.

Rule 10 - la

la can be either the verb head, or a suffix when there is another verb head.

• sin la, mi lape.
• lasin, lapemi.
  
  
• suno li weka la, mi lape.
• wekensula, lapemi.

Rule 11 - li

li is a copula!!!!!!

• jan li soweli.
• lijenjaneso.

I didn't intend for this and I am deeply sorry, but it fits so well.

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These are all the rules I can think of at the moment, but consider this a Work In Progress :)