Using pitch?

[Ftxozan]

When coversating in Na'vi, do we use English voice inflections to convey meaning; or are we to just use word order?

[Taronyu]

In the movie they seem to use English voice inflections - so I'd go with that. It is an odd question, and an important one that hasn't been answered.

[omängum fra'uti]

That's something that's always bothered me; that Na'vi seems to use English voice inflections.  It is a habit I want to break, but right now I don't have any better alternative.

[Taronyu]

Perhaps we should consult Frommer?

[Payä Tìrol]

The movie would have been -very- confusing without it.
Also, don't terran languages with grammatical rules concerning attitude tend to use pitch to express feeling anyway?

[omängum fra'uti]

Yeah it's very possible the use of pitch in the movie was a choice to help convey meaning in a way people would understand without understanding the words.

[Txonä Unil Stä'nìyu Rolyusì]

When coversating in Na'vi, do we use English voice inflections to convey meaning; or are we to just use word order?

Well since the words in Na'vi sentences can be arranged just about any way you want them, I would think the only way to convey feeling would be to use inflections. My 2 cents.

-Txonä Rolyu

[`Eylan Ayfalulukanä]

At least on earth, the meaning of using pitch in a language is pretty much universally understood. I had a friend who for our high school forensics team, did a famous speech by Adolph Hitler-- in German. High marks were given for the speech for proper use of pitch inflection, even if the judges didn't understand the German words.

One day though, he took it a bit too far. There is a point in the speech where he needs to rap on the podium. He did so, and the podium collapsed!

On a different world, pitch might have different meanings in speech. But with Na`vi not being all that different from many earth languages, and the Na`vi themselves being very much like us, using human pitch inflections would make a lot of sense.

I suspect that any real alien language would *totally* break all the rules we have for basic understanding of earth languages. So athough original, creative and beautiful, Na`vi is essentially an earth language, and follows all the basic rules of all earth languages.

[Taronyu]

At least on earth, the meaning of using pitch in a language is pretty much universally understood.

That's not true. A lot of languages have different intonational patterns to illustrate questions or statements, and it can get quite confusing. German isn't a good example, it's related to English. Look at Hungarian, say, or tonal languages.