A Computational Approach to Analyzing Language Change and Variation in the Constructed Language Toki Pona

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Huang, Daniel, Joo, Hyoun-A
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Huang, Daniel
Joo, Hyoun-A
author_facet Huang, Daniel
Joo, Hyoun-A
contents This study explores language change and variation in Toki Pona, a constructed language with approximately 120 core words. Taking a computational and corpus-based approach, the study examines features including fluid word classes and transitivity in order to examine (1) changes in preferences of content words for different syntactic positions over time and (2) variation in usage across different corpora. The results suggest that sociolinguistic factors influence Toki Pona in the same way as natural languages, and that even constructed linguistic systems naturally evolve as communities use them.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_10246
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Computational Approach to Analyzing Language Change and Variation in the Constructed Language Toki Pona
Huang, Daniel
Joo, Hyoun-A
Computation and Language
This study explores language change and variation in Toki Pona, a constructed language with approximately 120 core words. Taking a computational and corpus-based approach, the study examines features including fluid word classes and transitivity in order to examine (1) changes in preferences of content words for different syntactic positions over time and (2) variation in usage across different corpora. The results suggest that sociolinguistic factors influence Toki Pona in the same way as natural languages, and that even constructed linguistic systems naturally evolve as communities use them.
title A Computational Approach to Analyzing Language Change and Variation in the Constructed Language Toki Pona
topic Computation and Language
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.10246