Ayioang amip sì ayu alahe—New animals and other things

Started by Toliman, March 01, 2017, 12:04:00 PM

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Toliman

Ayioang amip sì ayu alahe—New animals and other things

Kaltxì, ma frapo.

As you know, Cirque du Soleil's production "Toruk," created with James Cameron's participation and full approval, has expanded our knowledge of the Na'vi universe, and that includes new additions to our Na'vi dictionary. Let me give you some of that new vocabulary here—clan names, animals, and cultural items.

First, we have names for four clans other than the Omatikaya:

Anurai [n., A.nu.ra.i]

Kekunan [n., KE.ku.nan]

Tipani [n., TI.pa.ni]

Tawkami [n., TAW.ka.mi]

You'll be able to find some descriptive material for these clans online.

Next, a couple of animals:

[Note: The descriptions below of animals and cultural items, which I've put in quotes, are excerpted and slightly paraphrased from the information I've received from official sources.]

tspìng (n.) 'austrapede'





"Similar to the Terran ostrich or emu, the austrapede is a flightless avian-like creature with a long extended neck and two vestigial "wings" on either side of its body.  Spindly, multi-jointed legs and neck and head protuberances resemble Terran avian plumage.  It's decorated with mottled skin and has a long tail. Size: Up to 4 meters in height, fully grown."

mawup (n., MA.wup) 'turtapede'



"Large six-finned aquatic creature with a plated and armored outer carapace shell leading to a multi-colored dorsal 'fin'.  Four 'arm' fins are used for propulsion, with the two 'back' fins used in a rudder-like fashion.  Mouth is a long snout-like protuberance with small, baleen-like teeth. Size: 5-6 meters from snout to tail, and roughly 4 meters tall."

And some cultural items:

Txärpawk (n., TXÄR.pawk) 'Palulukan Bone Horn'

This is derived from txärem 'bone' and:

pawk (n.) 'horn, wind instrument'

[Note: The general term for musical instrument, as you know, is 'otxang. Pawk refers to a specific kind of instrument, one you play by blowing into or across.]

"The Palulukan Bone Horn is a sacred object created by the Anurai, a Na'vi clan that reside in a vast bone sanctuary.  This fine piece of craftsmanship has the ability, once blown, to summon from the skies the great Leonopteryx."

Lo'akur (n., lo.'a.KUR) 'Toruk Makto Amulet'

This literally means 'hanging amulet,' from lo'a 'amulet' and kur 'hang.'

lo'a (n., LO.'a) 'amulet'

"The first of five sacred items that fit into the prophecy and legend of the first ever Toruk Makto.  This totem is suspended above a raging fire pit, and as part of a young Na'vi's Iknimaya rite of passage, the young Na'vi must climb the precarious rope to reach and retrieve the suspended amulet."

Note: In writing, this word is identical to the dative case of the Na'vi name Lo'ak. But in speech they're distinguished. Do you see how?