Re: ok, the iv infix is killing me, help please ;D

[kewnya txamew'itan]

There's no difference in the politeness of commands between those with <iv> and those without. Anyway, <iv> can also mean "let" or "may" in the sense of "let na'vi bloom", this is called an optative and occurs in wishes or 'blessings' such as "may all your arrows strike true" or the opposite so 'curses' such as "may no seed grow from this ground".

[Payä Tìrol]

Rutxe, pretty much.
You could also use Ohe/Ngenga and <uy> if you really want to go overboard

[`Eylan Ayfalulukanä]

Ma 'eylan ayfalulukanä, you've got the clause boundaries the wrong way round, the lines are actually:

fpole' sawtutel 'upxaret ayoeri tsat new tsun mivunge.

For this to work grammatically (and fit the translation better), it would have to be:

{fpole' sawtutel 'upxaret ayoeri} {(sawtutel) tsat new} {tsun {(sawtutel) (tsat) mivunge}}.

It's not a modal use of new, just a transitive one. The "sawtutel" is implied by the previous clause so is omitted (same with the final clause) as is "tsat" in the final clause. Because of this, an accurate translation would be more like "the sky people have sent us a message. They want it, they can take it"

Although the wording of ...tsat new tsun mivunge seems a bit odd without the missing words you added in, in context it makes a lot of sense.

You say here that new here is not being used in a modal sense (and I not all sure I understand what 'modal' really means). Yet, even if just being used as an ordinary transitive verb (which I can see here here, but not clearly without your explanation), it still seems to me to force the subjunctive in the 'target' verb (mivunge in this case) because the use of 'want' makes the desired action wishful.

And I know this is early Na`vi from the film, but wouldn't sawtutel be better here as sawtuteri?

Lastly, thank you for your explanation can/to be able. I will remember that every time I run across tsun!

[Payä Tìrol]

<2>, but it's supposed to convey a "ceremonial" feeling. Eytukan uses it when Jake formally becomes a Omatikaya, for example, so it's probably not a great idea to use it in everyday situations, even if you're trying to be super-polite

[kewnya txamew'itan]

Ma 'eylan ayfalulukanä, you've got the clause boundaries the wrong way round, the lines are actually:

fpole' sawtutel 'upxaret ayoeri tsat new tsun mivunge.

For this to work grammatically (and fit the translation better), it would have to be:

{fpole' sawtutel 'upxaret ayoeri} {(sawtutel) tsat new} {tsun {(sawtutel) (tsat) mivunge}}.

It's not a modal use of new, just a transitive one. The "sawtutel" is implied by the previous clause so is omitted (same with the final clause) as is "tsat" in the final clause. Because of this, an accurate translation would be more like "the sky people have sent us a message. They want it, they can take it"

Although the wording of ...tsat new tsun mivunge seems a bit odd without the missing words you added in, in context it makes a lot of sense.

You say here that new here is not being used in a modal sense (and I not all sure I understand what 'modal' really means). Yet, even if just being used as an ordinary transitive verb (which I can see here here, but not clearly without your explanation), it still seems to me to force the subjunctive in the 'target' verb (mivunge in this case) because the use of 'want' makes the desired action wishful.

And I know this is early Na`vi from the film, but wouldn't sawtutel be better here as sawtuteri?

Lastly, thank you for your explanation can/to be able. I will remember that every time I run across tsun!

It's the tsun which is forcing the <iv>, the new has nothing to do with the munge (besides providing context), remember the bubble effect. Essentially a modal use of a verb is when a verb takes a verb as part of its predicate (kind of like an object), here new has a real object and is just transitive, in new oe nivume, it takes a verb but no object so it is a modal use.

The topical might seem useful here, but isn't needed, remember that once a subject has been established it is assumed until another is stated, the topical would only really be needed if sawtute was changing its syntactic role.

<2>, but it's supposed to convey a "ceremonial" feeling. Eytukan uses it when Jake formally becomes a Omatikaya, for example, so it's probably not a great idea to use it in everyday situations, even if you're trying to be super-polite

This is very important. It would be like saying "verily, may I request from thee that thou doth give to me the salt which thou art possess'd of" instead of "please pass the salt".

[Nyx]

<2>, but it's supposed to convey a "ceremonial" feeling. Eytukan uses it when Jake formally becomes a Omatikaya, for example, so it's probably not a great idea to use it in everyday situations, even if you're trying to be super-polite

This is very important. It would be like saying "verily, may I request from thee that thou doth give to me the salt which thou art possess'd of" instead of "please pass the salt".

xD gotta use that one!

[`Eylan Ayfalulukanä]

It's the tsun which is forcing the <iv>, the new has nothing to do with the munge (besides providing context), remember the bubble effect. Essentially a modal use of a verb is when a verb takes a verb as part of its predicate (kind of like an object), here new has a real object and is just transitive, in new oe nivume, it takes a verb but no object so it is a modal use.

The topical might seem useful here, but isn't needed, remember that once a subject has been established it is assumed until another is stated, the topical would only really be needed if sawtute was changing its syntactic role.

Thank you. Now this makes perfect sense! (Now, if I can just remember all this!)

<2>, but it's supposed to convey a "ceremonial" feeling. Eytukan uses it when Jake formally becomes a Omatikaya, for example, so it's probably not a great idea to use it in everyday situations, even if you're trying to be super-polite

This is very important. It would be like saying "verily, may I request from thee that thou doth give to me the salt which thou art possess'd of" instead of "please pass the salt".

['Oma Tirea]

<2>, but it's supposed to convey a "ceremonial" feeling. Eytukan uses it when Jake formally becomes a Omatikaya, for example, so it's probably not a great idea to use it in everyday situations, even if you're trying to be super-polite

This is very important. It would be like saying "verily, may I request from thee that thou doth give to me the salt which thou art possess'd of" instead of "please pass the salt".

xD gotta use that one!

Molte, totally nailed it XD

[Ftiafpi]

<2>, but it's supposed to convey a "ceremonial" feeling. Eytukan uses it when Jake formally becomes a Omatikaya, for example, so it's probably not a great idea to use it in everyday situations, even if you're trying to be super-polite

This is very important. It would be like saying "verily, may I request from thee that thou doth give to me the salt which thou art possess'd of" instead of "please pass the salt".

xD gotta use that one!

Molte, totally nailed it XD

Hah, this is the best description of the formal/ceremonial infix ever!