[_abattoir]

Most of Toki Pona sounds like English anyway:

wan: one

tu: two

meli: female, from Tok Pisin mewi, from "Mary" (as in, the Virgin)

lukin: looking

ale: all

en: and

ike: icky

jaki: yucky

insa: inside

jelo: yellow

kalama: clamor

kama: come

ken: can

kule: color

lape: sleepy

lawa: law

linja: line

lili: little

lupa: loop

mani: money

mu: moo

musi: amusing/music

nanpa: number

nimi: name

open: open

pilin: feeling

sama: same

selo: shell

sike: circle

suno: sun

mun: moon

toki: talking

wile: will

[jhbadger]

Indeed. In the book detailing the language, the author says that the language was inspired by the various pidgins that have formed around the world where English words are modified to meet native phonology and combined with a simplified grammar.

[schoen]

The only one of these that I think doesn't work is lupa, which is a hole or opening, which doesn't necessarily have that much in common with a loop. I guess they could both be circular, but lupa applies to any kind of opening, circular or not.

[mrob]

Same origin as loophole (hole in a wall), which can also be any shape?

[RobertRoberts]

I know, I've studied it. But I gave up because no one else cared to learn it with me.

[_abattoir]

There's a ton of active communities these days!

https://www.reddit.com/r/tokipona/

https://t.me/tokiponaTelegram

https://discord.gg/uzCUNE

https://discord.gg/VUd5Gt

https://tokipona.fandom.com/wiki/Where_is_Toki_Pona_used%3F