Translation help for Avatar novel; Recombinant Wild Lands

[JforA]

Hello everyone, since you all graciously helped me with translation work for Recombinant Bridgehead I decided to come back at it again with the stories follow-up novel, Wild Lands! This time though, rather than make a bunch of topics asking one question each, I'll try to keep it more contained.

I don't want to offer much in spoilers but I'll provide as much context as a I can for translation help; that is if you're all still willing. 

So my first question concerns Reef Na'vi as it has to be in their dialect; I'm trying to find a way to say "Lungs of the People" or "To become lungs". This is for the name of a ceremonial dance so I'm trying to combine vagueness and formality.

An thoughts ayeylan?

[Syatikrel]

Sopì Na'viye.

[JforA]

Sopì Na'viye.

Ooh nice! Thank you.

[Toliman]

Yeah, good idea

I don't want to offer much in spoilers but I'll provide as much context as a I can for translation help; that is if you're all still willing. 

Srane

[JforA]

Yeah, good idea

I don't want to offer much in spoilers but I'll provide as much context as a I can for translation help; that is if you're all still willing. 

Srane

Glad to hear. Out of curiosity, shouldn't the word be Na'viyä not Na'viye? I can't find any instance where the word Na'viye is used.

[Toliman]

Opss... that I overlooked, yeah I would say Sopì Na'viyä (I am already too tired today )

[Tìtstewan]

I think, his question about "Na'viye" is not adressed to you, ma Toliman.

It's "Na'viye" because it's apparently Reef Na'vi.

[JforA]

I think, his question about "Na'viye" is not adressed to you, ma Toliman.

It's "Na'viye" because it's apparently Reef Na'vi.

It's hard to tell which one I'm replying too, but I really like Toliman's inputs. So Na'viye is a reef Na'vi variant. That makes sense!  Irayo 

[Tìtstewan]

Just to fix upcomming confusion.

Syatikrel replied to your first post giving you an example in Reef Na'vi

Sopì Na'viye.

Later, you asked why it's "Na'viye" not "Na'viyä".

Toliman replied:

Opss... that I overlooked, yeah I would say Sopì Na'viyä (I am already too tired today )

But which is weird, because his correction is true in Forest Na'vi, hrh.

Then I dropped in and tried to fix this possible confusion somehow by saying that "Na'viye" should be correct in Reef Na'vi. (Even though I haven't seen that much informantion about this aspect of grammar about Reef Na'vi genitive)

[Toliman]

Ngay, I confused that with Forrest Na'vi

[JforA]

You guys are a big help. Here's a question that's a bit nuanced. A character is just finding out two people he knew were in love and he's voicing that sentiment out loud with some surprise. "They were in love?" How can he say this in Na'vi that captures that sense of mild shock.

[Tìtstewan]

Hmmm... I think for "They were in love?" in the sense of being surprised, one way could be:

Srake yawne lamu mefor nìtxan nang?
Lit.: They had love very much (surprised) yes/no?

[JforA]

Hmmm... I think for "They were in love?" in the sense of being surprised, one way could be:

Srake yawne lamu mefor nìtxan nang?
Lit.: They had love very much (surprised) yes/no?

hmm, that is nuanced. I like. In this instance the speaker in question is Neteyam, learning Spider has feelings for his sister Kiri. So would that feel natural from the perspective of a brother?

[Toliman]

I would say that nang is good word for expression of surprise

[JforA]

Say you were a Na'vi, If a man introduced himself to you as Tsang Kew, would you think that was a weird name? How would you translate it in your mind?

[Toliman]

It sounds strange, however it has meaning in Na'vi, tsang means piercing and kew is zero.

[JforA]

Thanks, I have a character who has a difficult name that roughly sounds like Tsang Kew, so I was curious know if anything can be done with that.

[Toliman]

Kea tìkin 

[Toliman]

Thanks, I have a character who has a difficult name that roughly sounds like Tsang Kew, so I was curious know if anything can be done with that.

Anyway Tsang Kew sounds interesting, how you invented that name?

[JforA]

In a way, it's recom Zhâng. We gave him the first name Qiáo so his full name sounds out at jAHng CHIHOW a very difficult name to pronounce in Na'vi.