BBC Focus interview

Payoang · April 29, 2010, 10:52:30 PM

Na'vi language: interview with creator

Move over Klingon, the Na'vi language from the blockbuster Avatar is the new kid on the block of artificial languages. Andy Ridgway interviewed its creator Paul Frommer for the June edition of Focus. Here's the audio in full:

http://www.bbcfocusmagazine.com/feature/life/avatar-navi-language-creator

Nìwotxkrr Tìyawn · April 29, 2010, 11:40:46 PM

Wow, I never realized the list that was sent was so long. 79 pages, I feel so bad for Paul. XD It was a very nice interview better than many I've heard recently.

edit: just listened to parts of the Marc Okrand interview, I'm really surprised he didn't see the movie

tsrräfkxätu · April 30, 2010, 07:34:08 AM

Thanks for the link!

It's so awesome that two of the LN members are alluded to in the interviews (I listened to the one with Okrand as well.) Frommer mentions "a member of the Na'vi community" (which I believe to be Prrton), and Okrand says "a guy in Sweden" (Lance, I guess.) Cheers to you both!

(Anyone else noticed how similar MO and PF sound? It's eerie!)

kewnya txamew'itan · April 30, 2010, 10:13:57 AM

in reference to hamlet being in klingon "we're not quite there yet with na'vi" grr... We may not have completed it, but it does exist (in some small part at least).

Ftiafpi · April 30, 2010, 11:20:26 AM

Wow, really interesting stuff.

Txur’Itan · April 30, 2010, 11:31:42 AM

I CAN HAS WORD FOR SAUSAGE!

Ftiafpi · April 30, 2010, 12:02:02 PM

Quote from: Txur'Itan on April 30, 2010, 11:31:42 AM
I CAN HAS WORD FOR SAUSAGE!

hrh, vul letsngan is the best I can come up with.

'eylan na'viyä · April 30, 2010, 01:41:41 PM

txantsanangang !!!

thats a great interview

Payoang · April 30, 2010, 02:44:57 PM

Quote from: Ftiafpi on April 30, 2010, 12:02:02 PM
vul letsngan

This falls under the "interesting ways people are using the language" category.

Txur’Itan · April 30, 2010, 03:53:09 PM

Quote from: Payoang on April 30, 2010, 02:44:57 PM
Quote from: Ftiafpi on April 30, 2010, 12:02:02 PM
vul letsngan

This falls under the "interesting ways people are using the language" category.

I just thought of something...

vul letsngan si

wm.annis · April 30, 2010, 03:57:31 PM

Quote from: Nìwotxkrr Tìyawn on April 29, 2010, 11:40:46 PMWow, I never realized the list that was sent was so long. 79 pages, I feel so bad for Paul.

And that's just the A+B list. Only 59 pages of that are requested words, though. The remaining pages are various indices, some I came up with by default, some requested by Karyu Pawl.

Prrton · May 01, 2010, 12:36:28 PM

Quote from: Nìwotxkrr Tìyawn on April 29, 2010, 11:40:46 PMWow, I never realized the list that was sent was so long. 79 pages, I feel so bad for Paul.

Ke 'ivefu keftxo Karyufpi. Hrro fkol tel tsata ätxäle sivi! He LOVES the language and the creation part too, so once he's not burdened by a teaching schedule at USC and constant media work for DVD releases and whatnot, I'm sure he'll be very happy to have all those pages, which brings me to the next point...

Quote from: wm.annis on April 30, 2010, 03:57:31 PM
And that's just the A+B list. Only 59 pages of that are requested words, though. The remaining pages are various indices, some I came up with by default, some requested by Karyu Pawl.

What's the total now, ma Wm., if A&B+C are mushed together? 130~140-ish pp.? It's a lot of tìkangkem lekelku Karyufpi, but an amazing and interesting read. For those of you who haven't read them, I strongly suggest that you do.

'Ivong Na'vi!!

Sopyu · May 01, 2010, 05:43:04 PM

I think its a great idea but they really should have checked thier words to make sure they matched what they wanted. If you spell something wrong the na'vi loving people (that's us) will easily spot it. but at the same time we have to give them credit they are new to this and it is a great idea. but i agree with the fact thier should be no word for money. im a firm believer that money will corrupt anything it gets into. im interested to see if this na'vi thing continues in other ways. conventions and other get togethers would be nice. not just in europe but for the american fans (im from the usa).

Lance R. Casey · May 05, 2010, 10:51:53 AM

Quote from: tsrräfkxätu on April 30, 2010, 07:34:08 AM
Okrand says "a guy in Sweden" (Lance, I guess.)

Ah, no, that would be Zrajm C. Akfohg, who maintains Klingonska Akademien. I do, however, know him, and have held Klingon events with him at a (smaller) Star Trek convention, but other than that I myself am (or was?) not too known in "these circles". Nowadays Zrajm often refers to me when people come to him with requests, and as a matter of fact there is an email sitting in my inbox right now concerning itself with a short Klingon course (of quite serious and official standing) he has been contracted to hold in November...

wm.annis · May 07, 2010, 06:36:59 PM

And a followup, Frommer says some phrases and discusses vocabulary issues: Na'vi Language Audio Phrases.

eanayo · May 08, 2010, 04:37:13 AM

Ok, I just got the printed copy:
War of words by Andy Ridgway in BBC Focus, Issue 216, June 2010 pp.43-47
Item on the title page: Skxawng! - Learn to speak Na'vi p43

All in all a fairly interesting read, though not too much we don't know already. There are a couple of inaccuracies (re. LEP and David Cameron - did I miss another nickname of James?), but apart from that it seems to be a well-done article. Both languages are presented maturely and are shown in a rather positive way (no "loopy linguists"

), and the reader is invited to find out more on learnnavi.org. Yes, that's right! We've been mentioned two times! Once in a "words in numbers" info box, and once in the "find out more" box at the end, along with The Klingon Dictionary and In the Land of Invented Languages. Masempul.org also featured in the main text, when they mentioned the petition to K. Pawl.

So I say really good publicity for the language -well done, BBC!

Too bad the intersection of the sets of Sun readers and BBC Focus readers is probably very small

Ftiafpi · May 08, 2010, 01:43:13 PM

Txantsan!

Prrton · May 12, 2010, 12:15:57 PM

Carolyn Wray (Press Officer for BBC Focus Magazine) wrote to MaSempul.org in the last hour to encourage our "Facebook Community" to spread the word. I'm not on Facebook, so I'll have to ask those of you who are to so do.

Irayo, ma smuk!

Quote from: Carolyn Wray in mail to MaSempul.org 12 May, 2010Good afternoon

I thought your Facebook community might be interested to hear about some Na'vi related audio that we've just put up on the BBC Focus Magazine website.

The audio content ties in with a big feature on artificial languages in the June issue of BBC Focus Magazine, which focuses on Na'vi and Klingon and includes an interview with Paul Frommer, the creator of the Na'vi language.

On www.bbcfocusmagazine.com we've uploaded the full interview with Paul Frommer, as well as clips of Paul pronouncing Na'vi phrases. There is also a full interview with Marc Okrand, the creator of Klingon, and clips of linguist d'Armond Speers pronouncing Klingon phrases.

Here are the links:

Interview with Paul Frommer: http://www.bbcfocusmagazine.com/feature/avatar-language-audio-interview-navi-creator-paul-frommer

Paul Frommer pronouncing Na'vi phrases: http://www.bbcfocusmagazine.com/feature/navi-language-audio-phrases

Interview with Marc Okrand, creator of Klingon: http://www.bbcfocusmagazine.com/feature/klingon-language-interview-creator-marc-okrand

d'Armond Speers pronouncing Klingon phrases: http://www.bbcfocusmagazine.com/feature/klingon-language-audio-phrases

The feature, entitled War of the words, is published in the June issue of BBC Focus Magazine, on sale now. If you would like any further information on this, please feel free to contact me as below.

All the best

Carolyn

Carolyn Wray
Press Officer | BBC Focus Magazine
9th Floor, Tower House, Fairfax Street, Bristol, BS1 3BN
T: 0117 3148812 | E: [email protected]
www.bbcfocusmagazine.com