Na'vi for Garmin GPS

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Paul Frommer's
Language Workbook

[Puvomun]

pe wou! You really scored on that one, ma Puvomun!
Its really interesting that the Satnav project has suddenly sprung to life again. There must be something in the wind. I spent a good part of yesterday working through this vocabulary list coming up with updated Na'vi terms. But, time did not allow me to finish this project, let along plunk myself down in front of a good microphone and start recording.

It is quite interesting that many of the updated terms I came up match what has been come up with here. But, if Pawl is going to record this word list, there is little point in continuing my efforts at this time.

Considering the fact that the speaker in a GPS is not exactly top notch I don't worry about a high quality microphone. Clear pronunciation is more key I think.

This topic has never died, the server did. That, and the fact that I am doing far too many different things, is why it was silent for so long here.

Extended idea:

continue on route - salew mì fya'o (instead of just salew).

Also:

Instead of then - tsakrr or mawkrra, I think hay (next) would be good.
The 'then' always happens after a previous direction. "Turn left, then keep right" etc.

Comments?

I also discovered an error in the GPS software: when the screen shows to use the 5th exit on a roundabout, the software says to use the first. There is a sound-file for the fifth, so it is not that the file is missing. Interesting, I'll throw that to Garmin, maybe they will fix it. I am sure they can, but if they will...

[Blue Elf]

Extended idea:

continue on route - salew mì fya'o (instead of just salew).

It would work, maybe salew ìlä fya'o - continue by/via path

Also:

Instead of then - tsakrr or mawkrra, I think hay (next) would be good.
The 'then' always happens after a previous direction. "Turn left, then keep right" etc.

Comments?

IMHO "next" in meaning you want to use is adverb, but "hay" is adjective

[Puvomun]

It would work, maybe salew ìlä fya'o - continue by/via path

Good catch, thank you.

IMHO "next" in meaning you want to use is adverb, but "hay" is adjective

I never keep these things straight. nìhay then, that is the adverb

Document updated.

[Puvomun]

After sending the latest updated list to Karyu Pawl, I received this e-mail from him:

Hi Paul!

Thanks for the update. We're just about to begin our journey back to Los Angeles, so I'll put this off for a bit longer. But when we're back home, I'll take a careful look as soon as possible. Thanks again for keeping up with this.

I'm sure you can do a FINE job with speaking the phrases! But if the community would like me to record them, I'll be happy to. I shouldn't have a problem creating .wav files.

Oeng pivängkxo nìmun ye'rìn ko!

ta P.

[Puvomun]

I have uploaded a version 2 of my attempt to create a Na'vi voice for the Garmin GPS.
Note that the word-list used is NOT confirmed by karyu Pawl, but if you are interested in test-driving it, you can find it at http://kelutral.dyndns.org/download/
Simply hit the link "garmin_v2.zip"
There is a textfile in it with the words used, but it probably looks like rubbish when you use windows.

[`Eylan Ayfalulukanä]

Also:

Instead of then - tsakrr or mawkrra, I think hay (next) would be good.
The 'then' always happens after a previous direction. "Turn left, then keep right" etc.

Comments?

I had hay on my list for 'then' as well. I have been really busy, but I now need to compare your list to my list to Taronyu's original list. From that, I'll pick the best words for my attempt. (That said, I am still hoping that K. Pawl will give this a go.)

I also discovered an error in the GPS software: when the screen shows to use the 5th exit on a roundabout, the software says to use the first. There is a sound-file for the fifth, so it is not that the file is missing. Interesting, I'll throw that to Garmin, maybe they will fix it. I am sure they can, but if they will...

Cursed roundabouts! They are multiplying like flies over here now! There are other traffic control structures and routings appearing that look more like ideas I had when I was a kid, before I realized what was involved in driving 

In my experience here, few and far between are roundabouts with more than four streets running into them. (I can think of only one I have driven through, in Long Beach, CA) I do realize though that in Europe, things are much different. Cities there were laid out with 'hub and spoke' plans, and these feature massive roundabouts. We have only one big city I know of, laid out that way, and that is Washington DC. But since Garmin is an American company, maybe they didn't realize that there were roundabouts with more than four streets going into them.

I will download and try your voice the first chance I get. Usually, I have my GPS here, available to program, but not today.

For those interested, a Dothraki version is also in the works.

[Puvomun]

First off - I changed the word-list text-file to a MS Word document, for easier viewing.

I had hay on my list for 'then' as well. I have been really busy, but I now need to compare your list to my list to Taronyu's original list. From that, I'll pick the best words for my attempt. (That said, I am still hoping that K. Pawl will give this a go.)

I decided on 'nìhay', after Blue Elf pointed out that 'hay' is an adj.  We'll see what Karyu Pawl has to say about that.

I will download and try your voice the first chance I get. Usually, I have my GPS here, available to program, but not today.

For those interested, a Dothraki version is also in the works.

HRH! I can see Khal Drogo with a GPS on his horse!

Turn left or you're dead
Turn right or you're dead
Ride on or you're dead

;-)

[`Eylan Ayfalulukanä]

First off - I changed the word-list text-file to a MS Word document, for easier viewing.

I had hay on my list for 'then' as well. I have been really busy, but I now need to compare your list to my list to Taronyu's original list. From that, I'll pick the best words for my attempt. (That said, I am still hoping that K. Pawl will give this a go.)

I decided on 'nìhay', after Blue Elf pointed out that 'hay' is an adj.  We'll see what Karyu Pawl has to say about that.

I must have downloaded the file before you made the change. It is a text file for me, but I have no problems whatsoever reading it.

In any case, your voice is a lot more 'reedy' and 'present' than Taronyu's (now Skxawng Makto). The levels may be a bit 'hotter' as well, or it might be the difference in your voice. Overall, on the tiny speakers they put in those GPS units, your kind of voice is IMHO a better kind of voice. Nice job! (I think my voice lies somewhere in between you and Taronyu. We'll find out when I finally get a chance to plunk myself down in front of a mike.)

What did you use for a microphone?

I will download and try your voice the first chance I get. Usually, I have my GPS here, available to program, but not today.

For those interested, a Dothraki version is also in the works.

HRH! I can see Khal Drogo with a GPS on his horse!

Turn left or you're dead
Turn right or you're dead
Ride on or you're dead

;-)

I laughed 'till I hurt. I will definitely be sharing that with David Peterson!

But, I have been trying to pick out words and phrases that one might use, if using the GPS on horseback.

[Puvomun]

I must have downloaded the file before you made the change. It is a text file for me, but I have no problems whatsoever reading it.

Well, that's great. Perhaps you use notepad++ or something more advanced, which recognises linux line-feeds.

In any case, your voice is a lot more 'reedy' and 'present' than Taronyu's (now Skxawng Makto). The levels may be a bit 'hotter' as well, or it might be the difference in your voice. Overall, on the tiny speakers they put in those GPS units, your kind of voice is IMHO a better kind of voice. Nice job! (I think my voice lies somewhere in between you and Taronyu. We'll find out when I finally get a chance to plunk myself down in front of a mike.)

What did you use for a microphone?

I am glad you like the new version I made.
The microphone is on an ancient headset, brand is Canyon, and the model is CN-HS1. I don't even remember when I bought it, it's at least 20 years old.


I also tried the mic on the laptop, but that leaves too much air between the voice and the receiving part, makes the voice sound too hollow and inadequate, especially on the GPS.

HRH! I can see Khal Drogo with a GPS on his horse!

Turn left or you're dead
Turn right or you're dead
Ride on or you're dead

;-)

I laughed 'till I hurt. I will definitely be sharing that with David Peterson!

But, I have been trying to pick out words and phrases that one might use, if using the GPS on horseback.

Good luck. I don't know how many words Dothraki has by now, but it must be difficult to find the proper expressions in what's there.

[`Eylan Ayfalulukanä]

I must have downloaded the file before you made the change. It is a text file for me, but I have no problems whatsoever reading it.

Well, that's great. Perhaps you use notepad++ or something more advanced, which recognises linux line-feeds.

No, I use Linux 

In any case, your voice is a lot more 'reedy' and 'present' than Taronyu's (now Skxawng Makto). The levels may be a bit 'hotter' as well, or it might be the difference in your voice. Overall, on the tiny speakers they put in those GPS units, your kind of voice is IMHO a better kind of voice. Nice job! (I think my voice lies somewhere in between you and Taronyu. We'll find out when I finally get a chance to plunk myself down in front of a mike.)

What did you use for a microphone?

I am glad you like the new version I made.
The microphone is on an ancient headset, brand is Canyon, and the model is CN-HS1. I don't even remember when I bought it, it's at least 20 years old.

I also tried the mic on the laptop, but that leaves too much air between the voice and the receiving part, makes the voice sound too hollow and inadequate, especially on the GPS.

That microphone choice might explain the 'presence' on the voice then. Those headset-mikes, although of reasonable quality, are designed for a 'communication grade' response. this gives a pronounced presence boost for use over 'voice grade' circuits.

I plan to use a large diaphragm condenser mike that will give a little presence boost, but is otherwise full range. I might thin out the bass a little for better clarity, but appropriate bass can help a lot with intelligibility. (I have an 'FM classical music announcer' type voice.) The low pass filter in the Garmin program will remove the unwanted higher frequencies.

And there is nothing wrong with being old. Many old mikes are increasing in value. 

I laughed 'till I hurt. I will definitely be sharing that with David Peterson!

But, I have been trying to pick out words and phrases that one might use, if using the GPS on horseback.

Good luck. I don't know how many words Dothraki has by now, but it must be difficult to find the proper expressions in what's there.

That is very definitely the case (I think the public dictionary just passed 1,000 words). But you would be surprised how much is already there.

[Puvomun]

Well, that's great. Perhaps you use notepad++ or something more advanced, which recognises linux line-feeds.

No, I use Linux 

Ahhh... I edited the file in gedit. No wonder...

Good luck. I don't know how many words Dothraki has by now, but it must be difficult to find the proper expressions in what's there.

That is very definitely the case (I think the public dictionary just passed 1,000 words). But you would be surprised how much is already there.

That is fabulous!

[Puvomun]

I just heard back from Garmin, about the strange problem that the 5th exit on a roundabout is pronounced as being the first exit. This is a fault in the old VoiceStudio software and won't be fixed.

I am now downloading the latest version (4.2 from June 18, 2012) and will have a peek if that does not have the bug.

[Blue Elf]

Well, old software mistakes are never repaired. Never seen someone done it....

[`Eylan Ayfalulukanä]

At least, it looks like Garmin is making some effort to keep this tool up to date. This sounds more to me like a limitation than a 'bug', as roundabouts with more than four roads entering them are rare, at least in the 'States. There is a practical limit to how many special cases you can cover without making the code unwieldy. In fact, I'm amazed at how much road data they can get in so little memory.


For those attending Avatarmeet, I have a GPS with Puvomun's voice installed with me.

[Puvomun]

At least, it looks like Garmin is making some effort to keep this tool up to date. This sounds more to me like a limitation than a 'bug', as roundabouts with more than four roads entering them are rare, at least in the 'States. There is a practical limit to how many special cases you can cover without making the code unwieldy. In fact, I'm amazed at how much road data they can get in so little memory.

For those attending Avatarmeet, I have a GPS with Puvomun's voice installed with me.

In the program there is 'space' for 9 exits. *grin*

In Nijmegen, which I drive through regularly, there is a roundabout with 5 exits - that is how I found out about this bug. I am going to put a new voice-file on my Garmin today, using the new software, and I hope I can test this today (depends on traffic due to the 4-day marches that are going about here.)