Petition for better Na'vi Language in Avatar Sequels

Blue Elf · October 03, 2011, 02:03:25 AM

In this thread was created petition for better Na'vi in Avatar sequels (we know that Na'vi in Avatar wasn't always correct in both grammar and pronunciation).
So feel free to sign, if you want

Kamean · October 03, 2011, 10:46:02 AM

Lu hasey

I also posted this link on Russian Avatar forum Pandoraworld.su

Swoka Ikran · October 03, 2011, 01:18:00 PM

Already signed it yesterday, but good to see this is now in a more public place.

(The Disney topic really wasn't a good place for this...)

Kamean · October 03, 2011, 01:44:03 PM

Quote from: Swoka Ikran on October 03, 2011, 01:18:00 PM
Already signed it yesterday, but good to see this is now in a more public place.

(The Disney topic really wasn't a good place for this...)

Already moved.

Toruk Makto · October 03, 2011, 08:40:08 PM

This petition is ill-advised, in my opinion.

Since Paul worked with the actors as much as possible and with as much of the language as was available at the time, the wording of this petition sounds almost disrespectful of his effort, again in my opinion. Also, we have no reason to believe that the language will suffer in sequels.

Markì

Human No More · October 03, 2011, 11:26:19 PM

It seems like wasted effort anyway.

I seriously doubt Paul is not going to be involved with the sequel, both he and JC know it's a developing language.

Yayo · October 03, 2011, 11:52:56 PM

I think that James Cameron wanted to amaze the audience with the scenery, rather than the language.

Toruk Makto · October 04, 2011, 12:03:10 AM

Well, I will formally request that this petition not be linked to learnnavi.org in any way. To that end, I am moving this thread out of the website info board.

Markì

Yayo · October 04, 2011, 12:07:23 AM

To be honest, was the language usage really that bad? Come on, I mean, the language itself was raw and most of the actors who were also not only learning lines, movement and behavioural characteristics to play their part, but they also had to learn a language that has somewhat alien pronunciation... I don't think the audience cared whether or not the language was accurately spoken - as long as it provided subtitles and made sense, they were happy.

archaic · October 04, 2011, 02:40:42 AM

Oh Lord. What have I done?

Ekirä · October 04, 2011, 09:42:19 AM

I do have to agree that this petition isn't respecting Paul's work on the language - there may have been a few errors in the grammar but they were few and far between and it was before anyone was actually learning the language and able to nitpick everything to find them out. As to the actors' pronunciation, they really did do their best; it honestly was a lot to ask of them and they did an excellent job considering everything.

Also, since the language is now so much more well-developed due to the high level of interest in Na'vi, I don't see that we have anything to fear.

Seze Mune · October 04, 2011, 04:56:08 PM

Quote from: Ekirä on October 04, 2011, 09:42:19 AM
I do have to agree that this petition isn't respecting Paul's work on the language - there may have been a few errors in the grammar but they were few and far between and it was before anyone was actually learning the language and able to nitpick everything to find them out. As to the actors' pronunciation, they really did do their best; it honestly was a lot to ask of them and they did an excellent job considering everything.

Also, since the language is now so much more well-developed due to the high level of interest in Na'vi, I don't see that we have anything to fear.

Count me in agreement. Even native speakers of any given tongue make grammatical mistakes from time to time. Gender, number, case and the like aren't always perfect when spoken colloquially, and usages differ from one geographical area to the next. "Boughten" for instance is an English word used in certain smaller areas of the US. It is a correct word though it doesn't follow most modern usage patterns. Language is a living thing and it's always in development. It doesn't make sense to be too anal about this, imho.

There are often low country and high country versions of a language, dialectical usage, and socioeconomic class differences in usages. I assume this could be true in Na'vi too. I think Na'vi is way too young to be held to a strict Mandarin standard (

)

Besides, if we were really gonna get all particular about this, then Neytiri's and Jake's usage of "Hell, yeah!" isn't strictly high standard English. Speaking of which, did anyone ever bother to listen to the English used in the movie and diagram its syntax? Might we find some errors there, too?

Txärem te Parìk Tina'ite · October 13, 2011, 02:57:05 PM

Quote from: Toruk Makto on October 03, 2011, 08:40:08 PM
This petition is ill-advised, in my opinion.

Since Paul worked with the actors as much as possible and with as much of the language as was available at the time, the wording of this petition sounds almost disrespectful of his effort, again in my opinion. Also, we have no reason to believe that the language will suffer in sequels.

Markì

I'd have to agree with this. Paul tried his best to improve what he could so there's no reason we should be signing a petition that disrespects his efforts. It is not in our power to predict the future, he could improve much more in the sequels or it could be the same. Until that time we have no right to assume that if we don't petition it won't get better. That is my opinion.

Kamean · October 13, 2011, 03:35:20 PM

Quote from: Ekirä on October 04, 2011, 09:42:19 AM
I do have to agree that this petition isn't respecting Paul's work on the language - there may have been a few errors in the grammar but they were few and far between and it was before anyone was actually learning the language and able to nitpick everything to find them out. As to the actors' pronunciation, they really did do their best; it honestly was a lot to ask of them and they did an excellent job considering everything.

Also, since the language is now so much more well-developed due to the high level of interest in Na'vi, I don't see that we have anything to fear.

I also agree, but it's better than nothing.

P.A.'li makto · October 13, 2011, 03:51:56 PM

Quote from: Toruk Makto on October 03, 2011, 08:40:08 PM
This petition is ill-advised, in my opinion.

Since Paul worked with the actors as much as possible and with as much of the language as was available at the time, the wording of this petition sounds almost disrespectful of his effort, again in my opinion. Also, we have no reason to believe that the language will suffer in sequels.

Markì

Exactly!

'Oma Tirea · October 16, 2011, 12:07:13 AM

Quote from: Kamean on October 13, 2011, 03:35:20 PM
Quote from: Ekirä on October 04, 2011, 09:42:19 AM
I do have to agree that this petition isn't respecting Paul's work on the language - there may have been a few errors in the grammar but they were few and far between and it was before anyone was actually learning the language and able to nitpick everything to find them out. As to the actors' pronunciation, they really did do their best; it honestly was a lot to ask of them and they did an excellent job considering everything.

Also, since the language is now so much more well-developed due to the high level of interest in Na'vi, I don't see that we have anything to fear.
I also agree, but it's better than nothing.

This is exactly why I signed. I would never take it to be disrespectful to Pawl. Keep in mind that it's not about the language itself, but where (and maybe how) it's to be used: AVATAR 2 and 3.