Use of modifiers le-, -tu, etc.

[AuLekye'ung]

Can anyone explain (in terms a true skxawng can understand) the purpose of:

le-

sä-  (marked as derived by Taronyu, srane?)

-tu

-yu

tì-

Also, how do you add -a- to apxa?  What are the rules?

Irayo terìng ngaru krr oel.

[roger]

This thread should probably be moved to basic, where it might help other people.

Can anyone explain (in terms a true skxawng can understand) the purpose of:

le-

Forms an adjective from a noun. So: hrrap "danger", lehrrap "dangerous"; (and I'm guessing, since you brought up the word  ) skxawng "moron", leskxawng "moronic".

sä-  (marked as derived by Taronyu, srane?)

We don't know. There are only two words with it so far. Best just to memorize them.

-tu

It's short for tute "person". Like "man" in "workman" etc. in English.

-yu

It's like -er in English: taron "hunt", taronyu "hunter".

tì-

Makes a noun. Like -ness, -tion, or -ship in English: hawnu "protect", tìhawnu "protection".

Also, how do you add -a- to apxa?  What are the rules?

We don't know.

[AuLekye'ung]

Good to know.

Figured.

That is the only thing that does, then?

Good to know.

Good to know.

That's too bad...

Anyway, irayo, ulte Eywa ngahu.

[Lrrtoksì nìhawng]

Also, how do you add -a- to apxa?  What are the rules?

I had this same problem a few weeks ago. I was trying to compose a sentence about my big butt and the consensus was to leave the -a- off. Since Na'vi isn't really meant to be written, I don't think that extra -a- would be missed on something that already both begins and ends with -a-.

[AuLekye'ung]

Yes, but I was worried there may have been a switch, like lenition in txon -> mìton.

[Lrrtoksì nìhawng]

I think you're safe without lentiton. I've been lurking on the Na'vi nì'aw board for a couple weeks now and haven't seen -a- cause lentition to the modified noun yet. As far as I know, ay+, me+, pxe+, pe+, and mì+ are currently the ones you have to watch out for.

[roger]

No, there won't be any lenition, but there might be something else, like the stress shift we get when adding -e to tute. And it's possible that the SG messed up, and that one of those a's is already the attributive, and needs to be removed with "be".

[AuLekye'ung]

This thread should probably be moved to basic, where it might help other people.

Oe tsap'alute si.

I've gotten into the habit of posting things here, rather than the beginner section.

[wm.annis]

I had this same problem a few weeks ago. I was trying to compose a sentence about my big butt and the consensus was to leave the -a- off.

If I'm hearing the NPR interview correctly, the word for "big" when talking about one's txìm is tsawl, not apxa. 

[wm.annis]

Yes, but I was worried there may have been a switch, like lenition in txon -> mìton.

The adpositions are only written attached to their noun when they follow it.  So, mì ton but txonmì (note that there's no lenition when the adposition follows).

[Lrrtoksì nìhawng]

I had this same problem a few weeks ago. I was trying to compose a sentence about my big butt and the consensus was to leave the -a- off.

If I'm hearing the NPR interview correctly, the word for "big" when talking about one's txìm is tsawl, not apxa. 

Oooh! Problem solved then!  For some reason I was under the impression that tsawl implied big as in tall or athletic like, Mistxa Ti tsawl lu. So then the new question is when to use apxa and when to use tsawl. Could tsawl be one of those adjectives reserved for describing people (and their butts) like sevin?

[wm.annis]

Could tsawl be one of those adjectives reserved for describing people (and their butts) like sevin?

That seems like a reasonable guess right now.

[omängum fra'uti]

We know ftu is ADP+ as well, thanks to the ASG's entry for "sat - that (After ftu only)"

Edit: Locked as an old thread, with some outdated information.