Gender-specific title

[Sireayä mokri]

She was chosen to become the next tsahìk probably back in early childhood. Or, maybe because Omatikaya can have only male olo'eyktan...

[Lisa]

Here's something more for you to think about: why wasn't Neytiri made olo'eyktan? She is the daughter of the previous one, but then again, maybe the Toruk Makto bit is more important to them.

It's my understanding that the Avatar book Cameron is writing will contain a lot of backstory for Avatar, and hopefully that will include Na'vi backstory as well.   Now he just needs to get it written and in our hands.   

[Ku'rända]

She was chosen to become the next tsahìk probably back in early childhood. Or, maybe because Omatikaya can have only male olo'eyktan...

I would have guessed, her sister would have been the original pick for tsahìk, and when she died, the title passed down to her sister.  ....(...Neytiri is the younger of the two right..? >_>)

[Ekirä]

She was chosen to become the next tsahìk probably back in early childhood. Or, maybe because Omatikaya can have only male olo'eyktan...

I would have guessed, her sister would have been the original pick for tsahìk, and when she died, the title passed down to her sister.  ....(...Neytiri is the younger of the two right..? >_>)

I'm pretty sure the script said Sylwanin was older. Although in the picture of Grace with her Na'vi students that was shown on the fridge in the "shack" Neytiri looked like the oldest one there. But that's not proof of anything, Sylwanin could have just not been in the picture......

[Meynari Ke'nawm]

dosen't it stand somewhere that tshaìk often a female? and olo'eyktan often a male?

I think it very much depends on a clan, actually.

I agree. And just think, if we hadn't seen the ikran clan of the eastern sea, we would probably be assuming that olo'eyktan is always male.

What would happen in the case of an all-female or all-male couple? Anyway, it would be cool to see another clan with an Olo'Eykte

[omängum fra'uti]

A female leader would still be an olo'eyktan, olo'eykte isn't a word.

['Oma Tirea]

A female leader would still be an olo'eyktan, olo'eykte isn't a word.

Sran, that and 'eyle are misconceptions of words that (sadly) can't really exist in Na'vi.

[Säfpìltu]

The Tsahìk is the spiritual leader of a Na'vi clan, and the most important female member. It is up to her to interpret the will of Eywa. In most cases, the Tsahìk is female and mated with the clan leader (Na'vi name: Olo'eyktan). The Tsahìks of the Omaticaya and Tipani clans are Mo'at and Sänume, respectively. Neytiri, Mo'at's daughter, will eventually inherit her mother's position.

(from http://james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Tsah%C3%ACk - I do not know how canon they are, and if there's a more official and correct version out there...)

Most cases. Meaning that males (such as my nick would imply) may have this role.

Also:

Tsahìk Sänume is the Tsahìk and Clan Leader of the Na'vi Tipani clan. Little is known of Sänume, as few humans have ever seen her. Reports from Dr. Harper, however, state that Sänume is not opposed to human/Na'vi interaction, going as far as to welcome a handful of avatars to her Hometree.

(http://james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/S%C3%A4nume )

So it appears that one person might actually possess both titles... My guess is that a female olo'eyktan would be an olo'eyktane.

[Nyx]

No.

This was settled long ago that -e and -an only go on certain words, decided by Frommer. It has also been settled that 'eyktan is not one of those words. Please read through a topic before posting.

[Säfpìltu]

No.

This was settled long ago that -e and -an only go on certain words, decided by Frommer. It has also been settled that 'eyktan is not one of those words. Please read through a topic before posting.

Angry? I'm so sorry...

Rather than hissing like that, would you perhaps be so polite as to point me to a source? I'm quite new here and trying to find out things, making theories and discussing based on what I know, trying to expand my knowledge through that. Or do you mean that I should read through the entire forum before posting?

[Nyx]

I didn't mean to sound angry and I'm sorry it came across like that. You can find the information from the original source here (it's from a meeting some members had with Frommer). It was also stated a few posts earlier in this topic that 'eyktan (and 'eylan for that matter) don't take gender suffixes.

Oh and zola'u nìprrte'

[Säfpìltu]

Thank you. I read through the topic, but I must've somehow misunderstood that part. I changed my name accordingly (and I'll probably keep working on it as I learn, until I'm completely satisfied).

Gender
First, Olo'eyktan is not a male leader.  Paul reiterated that the sex suffixes -e and -an are not productive.

A female leader would still be an olo'eyktan, olo'eykte isn't a word.

The way I interpreted this, and the info from the Na'vi in a Nutshell was that -e and -an could be attached onto words to specify gender where it'd be needed. Like if it was a point that an ikran I met was male or female, I'd say ikranan or ikrane. But that's wrong, right? Which again would make as good as all titles in actuality non-gender-specific, right? (Slightly confused, but I think things are clearing up...)

[Ekirä]

Gender
First, Olo'eyktan is not a male leader.  Paul reiterated that the sex suffixes -e and -an are not productive.

The way I interpreted this, and the info from the Na'vi in a Nutshell was that -e and -an could be attached onto words to specify gender where it'd be needed.

"Not productive" means they can't be placed on words; all the words that have this will be in the dictionary.

But generally, you wouldn't specify if the ikran you met was male or female. In Na'vi you often use the non-gender specific po when speaking about someone. Of course, when it's necessary, you can specify gender, but if you don't need to just use po.

[Nyx]

Right, and if you really need to be specific about gender for say, ikran, you could use "ikran a lu tutan"

[Säfpìltu]

Na'vi is pleasantly free of gender focus...

Could I also say "ikran letute" for "female ikran"? And hence also "Eyktan letute" or "Tsahìk letutan" for female leaders and male aytsahìk?

[Nyx]

Sadly, le- isn't productive either. People might understand what you mean but it wouldn't be correct (unless Frommer has said that it is correct). Le- is more of a way to recognize adjectives.

[Säfpìltu]

Sadly, le- isn't productive either. People might understand what you mean but it wouldn't be correct (unless Frommer has said that it is correct). Le- is more of a way to recognize adjectives.

Are you sure of that? The Nutshell says that "The prefix le- is used to create adjectives:

trr day -> letrr daily
fpom peace, well-being -> lefpom happy, peaceful, joyous"

Should it rather be interpreted as "The prefix le- is used to determine derived adjectives"?

[Nyx]

Yes, that's right. I haven't been able to find the note from Frommer on this but the dictionary states that le- has no productivity. Do check/ask in the beginner's board. You'll be more likely to grab the attention of someone who has better knowledge of the sources. And it's the place for language questions