What do you call older boys and girls?

Started by trdrpxplds, October 26, 2016, 09:01:27 PM

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trdrpxplds

The Na'vi dictionary lists 'evengan for boy and 'evenge for girl. However, these two words are clearly derived from 'eveng, meaning child. What would you call an older boy or girl? In other words, how would you translate a sentence like "I'm dating a boy named Jim"? Are there any other words for boy and girl?

Tirea Aean

Quote from: trdrpxplds on October 26, 2016, 09:01:27 PM
The Na'vi dictionary lists 'evengan for boy and 'evenge for girl. However, these two words are clearly derived from 'eveng, meaning child. What would you call an older boy or girl? In other words, how would you translate a sentence like "I'm dating a boy named Jim"? Are there any other words for boy and girl?
Hey, great question and good observations!

There are no other words. I suppose then that my understanding would be:

'eveng is anyone younger than a fyeyntu

so

'evengan/'evan and 'evenge/'eve are boy and girl for anyone younger than adult age (whatever that happens to be, I can't recall)

I suppose what I'm saying is, there is no word (yet) for adolescent or post-pubescent aged person, or teenager.

The way it is now, until such a word is made, maybe there is no difference between young children and older children until one actually becomes an adult.

:-\ All speculation at this point, really. All we have is all we have listed so far.

trdrpxplds

Oh, OK. So there is any evidence in the Avatar canon that the Na'vi even have a concept of adolescence?

I would consider making a word for "teenager, teen, young adult" on the anonymous vocab creation board, but I'm afraid I'm going to mess up and create a word that doesn't fit the Na'vi phonology. Maybe someone else can create such a word and add -an for boy and -e for girl.

eejmensenikbenhet

#3
I've allways assumed that the Na'vi considered their offspring child until they've succesfully climbed Iknimaya (well if they're not succesfull they die), were they become adults, since it is seen as a 'coming of age' rite. The Na'vi that joined Jake in seemed young to me. However, it's also said that only hunters climb Iknimaya to bond with an ikran. :-\

Maybe they're considered adults after uniltaron? :-\

As far as proposing words goes, I think this would be considered Cameronian territory.

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä

#4
Don't be afraid to coin new words on the anonymous forum. If you mess up on phonology, there will be others there to help you make it phonotactically correct. It is quite normal for words to be very critically looked at there, even for folks who post a lot of new word ideas. That should not be taken as a slight or an insult, but as an opportunity to learn something that happens almost nowhere else :)

In this case, I would be more concerned about this word concept being 'Cameronian', which means it refers to something in the culture that we do not fully understand, e.g., only James Cameron knows for sure. ;) We also don't know how old a tute is when they reach physical puberty, or how old they are when they are considered ready to become an adult. We aren't even how they reckon the passage of time. We assume 'Rrtan years, but 'Rrtan years are a highly unlikely measure of time for the Na'vi. All that said, I would be surprised if there is not a specific term for a subadult person.

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