Our Dictionary

[Mirri]

I'm somehow reminded of flammable and inflammable  

"Will you ever stop talking?" vs "Will you never stop talking?"

So you're saying there's absolutely no occurance of "ever" that can't be rewritten to "never"? All it does is change the answer from a yes to a no (and vice versa)?

Basically, yes.  The different between the two in English is where you put the negative in the sentence, since in English we only have one negative per sentence.  But, in Na'vi, you'd always have to have the negation in both places, so you'd probably only get "never."  Consider Spanish, which also has negative concord: we have "nunca" for "never," but "ever" doesn't really show up as a lexical item: instead you have something like "alguna vez," which is "some time" if you try to translate the English directly.

So, yeah, I don't think we need "ever" :p

Ah, I see

That also reminds me, do we have a guess for what "some" might be? I'm missing words like "sometimes", "somewhere", "someone", "something", etc.

Best I could come up with was "few" hol

[Taronyu]

I think it has more to do with "Not once." As in, "Not once will you be of the Na'vi." Make sense?

Added those awesome words and äp. Word.

[wm.annis]

That also reminds me, do we have a guess for what "some" might be? I'm missing words like "sometimes", "somewhere", "someone", "something", etc.

Calquing horribly, a mutant hybrid of Greek and Mandarin,

  lu hrr a sanhìt nìn oel.  There are times (when) I look at the stars
  lu fayu a oeru prrte' lu  There are these (things) which are a pleasure to me.
  etc., etc.

A crazy guess.  I've been too exposed to the Na'vi-only board!

[Mirri]

That also reminds me, do we have a guess for what "some" might be? I'm missing words like "sometimes", "somewhere", "someone", "something", etc.

Calquing horribly, a mutant hybrid of Greek and Mandarin,

  lu hrr a sanhìt nìn oel.  There are times (when) I look at the stars
  lu fayu a oeru prrte' lu  There are these (things) which are a pleasure to me.
  etc., etc.

A crazy guess.  I've been too exposed to the Na'vi-only board!

Seems reasonable, in a way.
Does the a become an implied ergative in the second part of the sentence so you don't have to mark it with -l? Or am I analyzing the grammar wrong in your example?

[Skyinou]

So, yeah, I don't think we need "ever" :p

Well, actually "ever" is really english. We don't have the same in french for example, and it can be writen with the translation of "once", or "never", "always".


"oel" because he look "the stars"

[Taronyu]

Updated.

Main change: I added, with Tuiq as my coding hand, the unreleased IPA mark to all word-final voiceless glottal stops: ', p, t, k. Should be better, now, the IPA.

[tsrräfkxätu]

I changed the spelling of the word Tsahaylu to tsaheylu. I am going off of the movie, which pronounces it different, and assuming that Frommer changed the spelling so as not to confuse his American actors.

I'd advise against going off of the movie at all, as all the actors in the move are negligent in their pronunciation, to say the least. Furthermore, it is natural for native speakers of English to pronounce "ay" as [ɛɪ], as opposed to the correct Na'vi [aɪ]. Tsu'tey at one point says: "fayvrrtep" (containing the well-documented "ay"), and pronounces is as [ɛɪ].

Sorry, if this has already been discussed, I didn't read all 30-something pages...  

[Taronyu]

I changed the spelling of the word Tsahaylu to tsaheylu. I am going off of the movie, which pronounces it different, and assuming that Frommer changed the spelling so as not to confuse his American actors.

I'd advise against going off of the movie at all, as all the actors in the move are negligent in their pronunciation, to say the least. Furthermore, it is natural for native speakers of English to pronounce "ay" as [ɛɪ], as opposed to the correct Na'vi [aɪ]. Tsu'tey at one point says: "fayvrrtep" (containing the well-documented "ay"), and pronounces is as [ɛɪ].

Sorry, if this has already been discussed, I didn't read all 30-something pages...  

It has been discussed. In many cases, Frommer changed the language to deal with mispronunciation. I will be going along with this view. Good.

Editorial decision. I take the blame.

[Nìwotxkrr Tìyawn]

I would have to agree that Frommer will most likely change things to match the movie better, he's a smart guy he knows that actual Na'vi would probably know better than him. 

[Java]

Taronyu, how come muntxa is listed as an adjective?

[Taronyu]

Taronyu, how come muntxa is listed as an adjective?

Because the past tense form, mated, implies that it is adjectival. It may be a verb, I realise. Interesting. Anyone have any uses of this anywhere?

[NeotrekkerZ]

Taronyu, how come muntxa is listed as an adjective?

Because the past tense form, mated, implies that it is adjectival. It may be a verb, I realise. Interesting. Anyone have any uses of this anywhere?

I've noticed that a lot of our original canon of words were in the movie in dialogues that might have at one time been in Na'vi.  With that in mind, the only instance I can remember is the morning after Neytiri and Jake get together and she says "We are mated before Eywa" to the clan in English.  The way she says it, in English at least,  makes it an adjective.

[Mirri]

Because the past tense form, mated, implies that it is adjectival. It may be a verb, I realise. Interesting. Anyone have any uses of this anywhere?

No.. no uses at all, why do you ask?   <.<   >.>

I've noticed that a lot of our original canon of words were in the movie in dialogues that might have at one time been in Na'vi.  With that in mind, the only instance I can remember is the morning after Neytiri and Jake get together and she says "We are mated before Eywa" to the clan in English.  The way she says it, in English at least,  makes it an adjective.

Isn't there also the bit where she explains to Jake that Na'vi mate for life?
Oh wait that's in English -.-

I thought there was something with the Priestess too.. I don't remember anymore.
Dammit, when's the DVD coming out?

[omängum fra'uti]

Tsu'tey: (To Jake) You mated with this woman?
Mo'at: (To Neytiri) Is this true?
Neytiri: We are mated before Eywa.

(I always wondered how Tsu'tey found out - I figure there must be some subtle visual clue, or some implication from Na'vi customs that was glossed over.)

[kewnya txamew'itan]

If it were mated as the past form of the verb, we'd expect an <am> or <ìm> in there so I'm inclined to say it's an adjective.

[Erimeyz]

(I always wondered how Tsu'tey found out - I figure there must be some subtle visual clue, or some implication from Na'vi customs that was glossed over.)

He heard it through the grapevine.

Literally.

  - Eri

[Mirri]

(I always wondered how Tsu'tey found out - I figure there must be some subtle visual clue, or some implication from Na'vi customs that was glossed over.)

He heard it through the grapevine.

Literally.

  - Eri

Nice one 

[Lance R. Casey]

Tsu'tey: (To Jake) You mated with this woman?
Mo'at: (To Neytiri) Is this true?
Neytiri: We are mated before Eywa.

Don't forget Grace's "Oh s***!"

[NeotrekkerZ]

Tsu'tey: (To Jake) You mated with this woman?
Mo'at: (To Neytiri) Is this true?
Neytiri: We are mated before Eywa.

(I always wondered how Tsu'tey found out - I figure there must be some subtle visual clue, or some implication from Na'vi customs that was glossed over.)

I think he found out because they were holding hands as they approached.  My guess anyway.

[Skyinou]

In the original script, Tsu'tey is more furious about that matter. And so more interested, and Jake and Neytiri didn't hide it
Also we see Tsu'tey not far away just after Jake wake up.