English Translation
Tom knew all that.
In Toki Pona, the sentence “jan Ton li sona e ni ali.” can be broken down and translated into English to convey its meaning. Here’s an explanation of each component:
jan (person)
"jan" translates to "person" or "people."
Ton
In Toki Pona, proper nouns such as names are typically capitalized and preceded by "jan" for people. However, "Ton" is not an official Toki Pona name, as the language uses a specific set of sounds. It could be an attempt to adapt a non-Toki Pona name to fit the language. Proper names are adapted to fit the phonetic constraints of Toki Pona.
li (verb separator)
"li" is used to separate the subject from the verb in a sentence in Toki Pona. It is used after the subject and before the verb if the subject is not the word "mi" (I/me) or "sina" (you).
sona (know)
"sona" means "to know" or "knowledge."
e (direct object marker)
"e" introduces the direct object of the verb in Toki Pona sentences. It comes before the object that is being acted on or affected by the verb.
ni (this/these/that/those)
"ni" refers to "this" or "that." It is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate specific things.
ali (all/everything)
"ali" means "all," "everything," or "every." In the context of this sentence, it could mean that the knowledge being referenced is comprehensive or about all things.
Putting it all together, “jan Ton li sona e ni ali.” can be translated to “The person Ton knows all of this/these” or “Ton knows everything about this/that.”
It’s important to note that Toki Pona is a minimalist language, so context is essential for precise interpretation. The intended meaning of “ni” in particular depends on what exactly “Ton” is said to know in the context where this sentence is spoken. Without additional context, the sentence asserts that Ton has comprehensive knowledge about something that has been indicated or discussed.