A language with only 20 words....

[arpee]

This language is based on being in the now and focusing on the positive. There is no word for bad, you just say "not good". Also, all living things are "tama". There is not distinction between human and other forms of life. Also, the language doesn't focus on selfishness. These is no direct word for "have", you can only really say "there is". There is no word for "my", or "mine", or even ME/YOU. Everything is contextual. A "tama" can be a person. A "tama" can be a spirit or an animal. It depends on the context. There is no such thing as "time" in this language because time doesn't really exist. It is just Speed and Distance which makes time. In this language everything is looked at as a whole.

There is no cherry-picking with words like "this", "that", "blue", "red". There are only two main adjectives "good" and "bad". There are no shades of gray, just white and black. If you feel sad, that's "bad", if you feel sick, that's "bad", if you are happy, that's "good". God/parent/creator are all one word. live, life, soul, spirit, living thing, are all one word.

The language is contextual even with pronouns.

luki li puna - Literally: know/feel (seperator) good/positive
Translation: (I/you/he/she/it/they/them/we/us) feels good.
This is very common in Japanese.

The Phonology

a - a/schwa
i - i/e
k - k/g/h
l - l/r/y/w
m - m
n - n
p - p/b/f/v
t - t/d/s
u - u/o

Adverb/Time-Subject-Verb-Object
No Pronouns
Foreign words/names are treated as adjectives

The Dictionary

negative, not, no, opposite, question particle (when used at end of sentence): nu

science, logic, understand, knowledge, wisdom, know, believe, sense (feel, touch, taste, see, smell): ki

place, location, space, area, here, there: lu

living thing, animal, human, spirit: ni

energy, energize, strong, power, powerful, freedom, inspire, confident, free (of control): pi

seed, nut, egg, start, beginning, initial, first, root, origin, source, parent, God: ma

work, active, activate, business, labor, do, act, deed, action, create, make, build: pa

trade, buy, sell, give, take, get, receive, release, send, have, hold, maintain, keep: ku

way, move, go, come, time, period, mobile, motion, direction, path, road, method, skill, technique: mu

subject, verb, object, clause, separator: li

desire, want, need, require, pray for, wish for, wish, prayer: la

good, well, positive, healthy, improve, heal, help, support, benefit, advantage, simple, easy: pu

different, other, edit, change: tu

up, tall, high, heaven, sky, spiritual, formal, religious, religion, spiritual path: ta

sound, voice, noise, talk, say, music, play (instrument), Suna (language), language: na

light, bright, fire, bright, cook, hot, heat: ka

water, liquid, clean, wash, sauce, wet, aqueous, soup: mi

plant, grass, tree, herb, vegetable, food, fruit, mushroom, medicine: ti


Compound Words

Like Chinese, the words form bigger complex words by adding to roots together.

ta (sky) + ka (light) = taka (sky-light) which could mean star

also spaces are completely optional so it could be "ta ka" or "taka".

UPDATED February 1, 2010

Translation of some popular texts:

Lord's Prayer

Lord's Prayer
mala - God prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
tama li - heavenly father
Hallowed be thy Name.
na li pu - (your) name be blessed/good
Thy kingdom come.
tamalu li mu - the heavenly father's kingdom come
Thy will be done,
tamala li mu - the heavenly father's desires arrive
On earth as it is in heaven.
li tamalu li nilu - the heavenly father's place, the human place
Give us this day our daily bread.
kuliti - give (us) food
And forgive us our trespasses,
pulini - (make) good (our) lives
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
nili pu litu nini - (as) people improves the lives of others
But deliver us from evil.
mu li ni li pu - move (please) people (towards) (the) good
For thine is the kingdom,
tamalu li - heavenly father's place
and the power, and the glory,
ku li pi li pu - has good and power
for ever and ever.
li mamu li numamu - (at) (the) starting moment (and) (at) (the) ending moment
Amen.
nilipu - life (is) good

[AlexandreMsx]

nu sila luki
sina puna lapo mala luki

[Quevenois]

Translation: (I/you/he/she/it/they/them/we/us) feels good.
This is very common in Japanese.

Aye but in Japanese you can use pronouns in case the subject isn't clear...
In your language, if there are no pronouns, people can never know who you're talking about...

[Narbleh]

"Thy kingdom come" and "Your place is good" mean two entirely different things.

[arpee]

nu sila luki
sina puna lapo mala luki

what did you mean by sina? Did you mean to type suna? Also "lapo" should be "lapu". It is okay to pronounce it as "lapu/lapo" but it should always have the spelling of "lapu". Also, can you use "li" somewhere in your sentence between either the subject-verb or verb-subject because everything in this sentence seems to flow together like one big adjective cluster.

Aye but in Japanese you can use pronouns in case the subject isn't clear...
In your language, if there are no pronouns, people can never know who you're talking about...

What do you expect with a language with 20 words? Of course there's going to be ambiguity. Also, it's a completely contextual language.

I'm sure if you're eating food and you say "puna" people will know you mean the food is good or you are feeling good that you are eating and I'm sure if someone is doing something and after they finish you say "puna" they will know that you mean "good job" or something along those lines.

If you feel as though there is a need to say "I/me" you can probably get away with saying "(your name) tama" or you can even say "suna tama" which roughly means "the talking person".

If "you" you can say "nu suna tama" which roughly means "the not talking person" or the "(person's name) tama" which is common in Japanese and Korean for respect.

for "(s)he/him/her" the best way to do this would be to say the "(person's name) tama" if you do not know their name you can just say "tama" (which would be really ambiguous).

"Thy kingdom come" and "Your place is good" mean two entirely different things.

A more accurate (yet ambiguous) translation would be "luka li musa", which literally means "[your] place moves [to]."

[Nukalurk]

Do you ever finish a language? You propose a new one like every week, present a few points and abandon it right away.

[arpee]

Do you ever finish a language? You propose a new one like every week, present a few points and abandon it right away.

Well, it would be impossible to not finish this one since it's already complete

[Narbleh]

You can communicate more complex ideas like "I have a flat tire" or "Go down the street to the church, then take a right and go past the post office"?

[Satsuma]

What do you expect with a language with 20 words? Of course there's going to be ambiguity. Also, it's a completely contextual language.

20 words? Is that a good thing?

[arpee]

You can communicate more complex ideas like "I have a flat tire" or "Go down the street to the church, then take a right and go past the post office"?

The language is completely contextual. You can look or point at the tire and say "nu puna" or "mala". Or you can even say "nu lapu" (not working) and then the listener can use their brain and see what you mean.

Go do to the street to the church then take a right and go past the post office.
pi musa li mama luka. pi musa li nu kuki li tama suna luka.

Of course this is extremely inaccurate and can be more accurate depending on more detailed situation.

Of course if you are on the internet you could just take a pic of your car and then say "nu lapu". Or a picture of a tire and say "nu puna)

[arpee]

Lord's Prayer on YouTube
Anima Libera on YouTube

[Emandir]

Expression being very subjective, I don't think that such a language could work: you need a great amont of words to try to make other understand what you mean!
Plus, your translation of the Pater Noster is firstly based on your own interpretation of it: someone else speaking your language could translate it quite differently (for example, the mere sentence "Thy kindgom come" is already controversial in itself...)

[AlexandreMsx]

Sorry arpee i meant 'sila'. That's interesting this language with just 20 words. Maybe the meaning of each statement can be more accurate with gestures and body language. Minimal languages are always ambiguous, I see this as a purely conceptual language, not for real use.

[arpee]

Sorry arpee i meant 'sila'. That's interesting this language with just 20 words. Maybe the meaning of each statement can be more accurate with gestures and body language. Minimal languages are always ambiguous, I see this as a purely conceptual language, not for real use.

Lor'ds Prayer li Anima Libera li luki li suna pa. I'm planing to translate more songs into Suna (which is the office name of this 20 word language)

[AlexandreMsx]

As I would say in my native language "Boto fé" (I have faith on that)

[gyrus]

Just like Toki Pona, this seems shiny and useless.

[Satsuma]

Could a blind person learn this language?

Also, how can you understand the example sentence "tama nu tama". This could be translated as "The human isn't alive" as well as "Animals aren't humans".

[arpee]

Just like Toki Pona, this seems shiny and useless.

Exactly, it's seems useless. It doesn't mean that it is though. You won't know until you learn it and it's only twenty words. Don't judge a book by it's cover.

Could a blind person learn this language?

Also, how can you understand the example sentence "tama nu tama". This could be translated as "The human isn't alive" as well as "Animals aren't humans".

Of course a blind person can learn this language, why such a weird question?

If you want to say "something/someone is not alive" you can just say "nu tama". The subject is not needed. Depending on the context "tama nu tama" could me "the human isn't alive" or "anima's aren't humans" or more.

If you are looking at a dead person or a picture of someone and say "tama nu tama" hopefully the person would use their brain to figure out that you're saying "the person is dead" instead of "animals aren't humans".

Also, you didn't use 'li' to separate any of the words so it would not even make sense. It would be something like "the energetically non creature"


tama nu tama: the energetically non creature
tama li nu tama: the creature is not alive

Remember, without "li" everything flows into an adjective clause(?).

[Satsuma]

Of course a blind person can learn this language, why such a weird question?

If you are looking at a dead person or a picture of someone

Most of what is said in this languages has to be in context, such as looking at something. I just think that having only 20 words makes the languages very complex to express simple topics.

[arpee]

so has anyone memorized the twenty words yet?

tama li luki li suna pa.