To Keep Doing Something

[Stranger Come Knocking]

"Keep going!  You're doing great!"
"Keep the guard busy while I sneak in."
"If you don't keep working, you're fired!"

How would one render "keep verbing" in Na'vi?  Or "kept verbing" for that matter?

[Tirea Aean]

var v<iv>erb

[Stranger Come Knocking]

var v<iv>erb

"Var tivul" = keep running
"Var tìkangkem sivi" = keep working

Like that?

[Tirea Aean]

srane

[Stranger Come Knocking]

srane

So then...

"Nga var tolivul" = You kept running
"Oe var tìkangkem solivi" = I kept working

[Tirea Aean]

volar tivul
volar tìkangkem sivi

[Stranger Come Knocking]

volar tivul
volar tìkangkem sivi

That makes a little more sense.

Neytiri: Var sivulìn tsamsiyu tengkrr oe letwan si mìfa.
Jake: Sran, ma Neytiri.

Hawngkrr...

Jake sì tsamsiyu srerew.  Neytiril Jakeyä pxumit niä ulte 'aku poti.

Neytiri: Kempe kem sarmi?
Jake: Ngal oeti poltxe var sulìn tsamsiyu, fte oel tsamsiyu volar sulìn.
***
Neytiri: Keep the guard (warrior) busy while I sneak inside.
Jake: Yes, Neytiri.

Later...
Jake and the guard are dancing (because there isn't a word for playing chess).  Neytiri grabs Jake's arm and pulls him away.

Neytiri: What were you doing?
Jake: You told me to keep the guard busy, so I kept the guard busy.

[Tirea Aean]

volar tivul
volar tìkangkem sivi

That makes a little more sense.

Neytiri: Var 'eykivìn tsamsiyut tengkrr oe letwan si mìfa.
Jake: Tam ma Neytiri.

Hawngkrr...

Jake sì tsamsiyu srerew.  Neytiril Jakeyä pxunit niä ulte 'aku poti.

Neytiri: Kempe sarmi?
Jake: Nga oeru poltxe san var 'eykivìn tsamsiyut, ha oel tsamsiyu volar 'eykivìn.
***
Neytiri: Keep the guard (warrior) busy while I sneak inside.
Jake: OK, Neytiri.

Later...
Jake and the guard are dancing (because there isn't a word for playing chess).  Neytiri grabs Jake's arm and pulls him away.

Neytiri: What were you doing?
Jake: You told me to keep the guard busy, so I kept the guard busy.

made some edits.

keem him busy seems like a ketchy use of var. var means to continue. so i used continue to cause him to be busy. i think we need a word for distract.

[Stranger Come Knocking]

Neytiri: Var 'eykivìn tsamsiyut tengkrr oe letwan si mìfa.
Jake: Tam ma Neytiri.

Hawngkrr...

Jake sì tsamsiyu srerew.  Neytiril Jakeyä pxunit niä ulte 'aku poti.

Neytiri: Kempe sarmi?
Jake: Nga oeru poltxe san var 'eykivìn tsamsiyut, ha oel tsamsiyu volar 'eykivìn.
***
Neytiri: Keep the guard (warrior) busy while I sneak inside.
Jake: OK, Neytiri.

Later...
Jake and the guard are dancing (because there isn't a word for playing chess).  Neytiri grabs Jake's arm and pulls him away.

Neytiri: What were you doing?
Jake: You told me to keep the guard busy, so I kept the guard busy.

keep him busy seems like a sketchy use of var. var means to continue. so i used continue to cause him to be busy.

Nìngay? >_> Well, then, it does sound much better.

i think we need a word for distract.

What do you mean?  Do you think that- Oh, look a butterfly!



Na'vi ADD

[Tirea Aean]

Nìngay srak? >_> Well, then, it does sound much better.

i think we need a word for distract.

What do you mean?  Do you think that- Oh, look a butterfly!



Na'vi ADD

vtr. to distract
adj. distracted

HRH

KTsEST - Ke Tsun Eltu Sivi a Tìngäzìk

[Stranger Come Knocking]

Nìngay srak? >_> Well, then, it does sound much better.

i think we need a word for distract.

What do you mean?  Do you think that- Oh, look a butterfly!



Na'vi ADD

vtr. to distract
adj. distracted

HRH

KTsEST - Ke Tsun Eltu Sivi a Tìngäzìk

Nice. Now we'll need a Na'vi medical dictionary.