To lie

[MIPP]

Ok, a few days ago I was thinking about Na'vi and AVATAR, and I remebered that Na'vi has no word for 'lie' or 'to lie'.
So, I remembered that I have seen in the movie, Jake saying something to someone (I don't remember who, but I'm almost sure that he said it to a sky person).
He said something like:
"They (Na'vi) don't even have a word for lie. They had to learn it with us!"
I know that he must be saying that the first time that the Na'vi people heard about lying was when Dr. Augustine taught them English at school.
But I also thought about a different thing:
If the Na'vi learnt the word with the "Sawtute", couldn't their word for lie be "lay" or "tulay"?
I know that it's pure especulation, but... who knows?

[Kä'eng]

Just because there's no single word for lying doesn't mean they have no concept of it (that would be pretty unrealistic). In English, we don't have a word for "cardboard box", but that doesn't mean that the concept of one is incomprehensible to us. It just means it's something we talk about infrequently enough that the multiple-word phrase suffices.

Perhaps the Na'vi just use a phrase such as plltxe nìtsleng (speak falsely) to describe lying.

[Muzer]

FYI, this line was from the original script but not in the film (at least, not the original release... who knows about the rerelease )

[MIPP]

FYI, this line was from the original script but not in the film (at least, not the original release... who knows about the rerelease )

I read the script so many times that I thought it was in the movie HRH

[Txonä Unil Stä'nìyu Rolyusì]

FYI, this line was from the original script but not in the film (at least, not the original release... who knows about the rerelease )

I didn't notice it in the re-release either.

As for a way to say "lie" I say "pivlltxe nìkeyawr," "speak incorrectly"

-Txonä Rolyu

['Oma Tirea]

As for a way to say "lie" I say "pivlltxe nìkeyawr," "speak incorrectly"

How would one contrast that with the above phrase: pivlltxe nìtsleng (speak falsely)?

[Txonä Unil Stä'nìyu Rolyusì]

As for a way to say "lie" I say "pivlltxe nìkeyawr," "speak incorrectly"

How would one contrast that with the above phrase: pivlltxe nìtsleng (speak falsely)?

I wasn't trying to contrast anything, I was just putting in my 2 cents.

-Txonä Rolyu

['Oma Tirea]

As for a way to say "lie" I say "pivlltxe nìkeyawr," "speak incorrectly"

How would one contrast that with the above phrase: pivlltxe nìtsleng (speak falsely)?

I wasn't trying to contrast anything, I was just putting in my 2 cents.

-Txonä Rolyu

Oe omum... newomum nì'aw

[Human No More]

Just because there's no single word for lying doesn't mean they have no concept of it (that would be pretty unrealistic). In English, we don't have a word for "cardboard box", but that doesn't mean that the concept of one is incomprehensible to us. It just means it's something we talk about infrequently enough that the multiple-word phrase suffices.

Perhaps the Na'vi just use a phrase such as plltxe nìtsleng (speak falsely) to describe lying.

Well said, I think... I doubt they had no actual knowledge of what lying was, just not having a specific word for it.

[Kayrìlien]

As for a way to say "lie" I say "pivlltxe nìkeyawr," "speak incorrectly"

How would one contrast that with the above phrase: pivlltxe nìtsleng (speak falsely)?

I would imagine that to speak incorrectly is to make a mistake, whereas to speak falsely is to intentionally relay something contrary to the truth.

plltxe nìkeyawr - Misspeaking
plltxe nìtsleng - Lying intentionally

Of course, that's conjectural, but that's how I see those matching up.

Kayrìlien

[Txonä Unil Stä'nìyu Rolyusì]

I would imagine that to speak incorrectly is to make a mistake, whereas to speak falsely is to intentionally relay something contrary to the truth.

plltxe nìkeyawr - Misspeaking
plltxe nìtsleng - Lying intentionally

Of course, that's conjectural, but that's how I see those matching up.

Kayrìlien

Hmmm, I suppose you're right. My viewpoint was that "speaking incorrectly" was also intentional [lying] but the way you put it also makes sense.

-Txonä Rolyu