Confirmation of Translation

[kdreeves]

Kaltxì ma smukan si smuke!

I am preparing to teach a Gifted Education seminar on anthropogenic languages, and will be including Na'vi alongside Klingon, Romulan, and a few other art languages. I have a school motto that I'm attempting to translate into each, and would appreciate any insight. I understand SVO order is quite fluid in Na'vi as appreciated thus far, and want to be sure my syntax is at least consistent with your interpretations to date.

The English language phrase is "By building, we learn." This is present-tense and inclusive in connotation.

Basic vocabulary research suggests the following roots:

ìlä = by, via, following
si = do, make (v)
ayoeng = we (inclusive)
nume = learn (v)

Making "si" into a present-tense active verb - changing "make" into "making" - seems to indicate the addition of the infix <er> in first position, making s<er>i the present tense verb "be making." Any suggestions / corrections there?

If so, I think a thoroughly reasonable facsimile would be:

"ìlä s<er>i, nume ayoeng"
Literally, "via be-making, learn we."

Thoughts? Irayo!

[omängum fra'uti]

Well an adposition isn't really usable on a verb directly...  Also I think the "make" meaning is so people understand the "kelku si" idiom, not that "si" literally means make.  Ngop (create) might work better.

However flipping things around a little...

Ngerop a fìkemfa ayoeng nume
Creating that this action by means of which we learn

I'm not 100% sure that would be it though, so maybe if some of the other experienced eyes care to glance over it as well.  The main things I'm uncertain on are...

1. Would that be the correct infix (Subjunctive?  None?  Imperfective in nume?)
2. Should ayoeng be in the first clause, and contextually in the second...
3. Is that adposition the correct meaning

FInally, I'm not even sure "fìkem" can be used like that, that is completely unattested in any examples we have.

But it's a starting point...

[Kiliyä]

Perhaps:
Fa tìngop, ayoeng nume.
Through NOUN-create, we-all learn.
Through creating, we learn.

[suomichris]

Or,

Fte nivume, ngop ayoeng.
"In order to learn, we create."

[Kiliyä]

Or,

Fte nivume, tìngop ayoeng.
"In order to lear, we create."

"Fte nivume, ngop ayoeng", sans tì-?  What about, for pronunciation's sake, "fte nivume, ayoeng ngop."   

[suomichris]

Or,

Fte nivume, tìngop ayoeng.
"In order to learn, we create."

"Fte nivume, ngop ayoeng", sans tì-?  What about, for pronunciation's sake, "fte nivume, ayoeng ngop."  

Oh, right, sorry... I just copied yours and wasn't paying attention :p

Should be:

Fte nivume, ngop ayoeng.
"In order to learn, we create."

[Keylstxatsmen]

I second this interpretation:

fa tìngop ayoeng nume.
By-means-of creation we learn.

It's the closest to the literal meaning -- that "the instrument of our leaning is creating (things)".

We don't know how these adpositions work very well yet though. It could very well be:

ìlä tìngop ayoeng nume.
Via creation we learn.

But I think that ìlä may be a physical thing, like "along" the river.

of maybe simply:
ta tìngop ayoeng nume.
from creation we learn.

-Keyl

[kdreeves]

Irayo, I genuinely appreciate the assistance. It seems that of the several suggestions offered, there is some consideration of connotation. I look forward to beginning the journey to learn the basics, and have been really impressed with some of the conversations I've had an opportunity to read here thus far.

[omängum fra'uti]

I've got a new word for you...  txula - build, construct

It might fit your English phrase better than ngop.