Similarities to Earth-language words?

[Kì’onga Vul]

(I wasn't sure where to put this topic, so you can move it if you need.  )

Anyway, in the guidelines for new word submissions, Karyu Pawl mentions the Na'vi word ngati.

A certain amount of similarity among words in unrelated languages, of course, is unavoidable, with the probability of duplication inversely proportional to the length of the word [...] (I discovered after the fact that ngati, with a long a, is a common Maori word, a "prefix for a tribal group," and that in Kannada the word means cousin or relative. But I'd be surprised if tìkangkemvi or meoauniaea were found in any other language.)

So in another language, ngati, while meaning something different, still has to do with people.  And I recently stumbled upon the Finnish word uni, which means "dream," just like unil.

Like Pawl said, things like this are inevitable, but I was just wondering if we've found any other examples like this of similarity in both sound and meaning.

[Ftxavanga Txe′lan]

Very interesting topic. I personally don't have any examples right now, but I shall follow the conversation to see if more instances come up!

[P.A.'li makto]

In Hungarian the object of the sentence is marked by a "t" at the end of the word. Does it count?  

[Hawnuyu atxen]

In Hungarian the object of the sentence is marked by a "t" at the end of the word. Does it count? 

Not just that, in Hungarian "zene" means music and "tompa" means "blunt" (eg. a knife, sy's brain, etc).

[`Eylan Ayfalulukanä]

The word flew, 'throat', I believe also means 'throat' (or something very similar) in German.

[Ftxavanga Txe′lan]

The word flew, 'throat', I believe also means 'throat' (or something very similar) in German.

In German, really? I'm not an expert, but I don't know any word sounding like that at all, let alone one meaning throat. In fact, the most common appellation for that would probably be Hals, or something of that kind. But maybe I just don't know the term to which you're referring. Hopefully someone will be able to clarify!

[`Eylan Ayfalulukanä]

Some years ago, a German friend of mine and I were discussing a passage in German, describing a lion attack. He used the word flews for throat. Actually now that I remember it, he used this word for an English translation of 'throat' in that account ('The lion bit him in the flews', or something like that). I had never heard that word so used.

[Ftxavanga Txe′lan]

Oh, so it was an English term? In any case, it still counts as a Na'vi-Earth resemblance

[Ngima Nikre]

I can't believe no one has yet mentioned yom and the onomatopoeia "om nom nom!"

Also, lìng is similar to linger, which is kind of related, tìsti which is similar to testy (when someone is testy they are angry and the smallest provocation could set them off), and tsawl which just sounds similar.

[Reiey fpi Sìtaron]

There are a few Na'vi words that I've found are similar to those in Celtic languages.

tuta "people, tribe" = taw-tute "sky people"

pa "what, which" = pe interrogative marker

kang "go, walk" = kä

ala "other" = alahe

deiwa "goddess" = Eywa

Celtic languages also have some of the same mutations as in Na'vi, i.e :
p > f
k > h

[Ekirä]

Some years ago, a German friend of mine and I were discussing a passage in German, describing a lion attack. He used the word flews for throat. Actually now that I remember it, he used this word for an English translation of 'throat' in that account ('The lion bit him in the flews', or something like that). I had never heard that word so used.

Interesting. I know flews as a dog's hanging upper lip, although it's more often used as terminology for the more "wrinkly" breeds like bloodhounds....I didn't know it could be used for humans.... XD

[`Eylan Ayfalulukanä]

Interesting. I know flews as a dog's hanging upper lip, although it's more often used as terminology for the more "wrinkly" breeds like bloodhounds....I didn't know it could be used for humans.... XD

Perhaps it is my friend's incomplete command of English. He is much better now, BTW, and we converse with each other a couple times a year. In any case, I'm glad this is straightened out.

[Kä'eng]

I can't believe no one has yet mentioned yom and the onomatopoeia "om nom nom!"

yom is pronounced [jom] (similar to English "home"); I've always heard nom pronounced as [nɑm] (similar to English "bomb")... they're quite different vowel sounds.

[Kì’onga Vul]

I can't believe no one has yet mentioned yom and the onomatopoeia "om nom nom!"

yom is pronounced [jom] (similar to English "home"); I've always heard nom pronounced as [nɑm] (similar to English "bomb")... they're quite different vowel sounds.

On the other hand, if we give some flexibility to the vowels, yom sounds a bit like "yum."

[Lance R. Casey]

Does it have to be Earth languages?

The Klingon word for one is wa'. This almost seems intentional, but when I pointed out the word to Frommer in a Klingon dictionary I happened to be carrying around (well...) he was genuinely surprised. There's also 'em vomit (v) (cf. N. 'em cook) and 'In percussion instrument (N. i'en a stringed instrument).

Returning to our planet, there's a Swedish word "vittra" (cf. N. vitra) which refers to a mythological "unseen" people who according to ye olde folklore lived like humans, but not with them; rather underground or in a parallel reality.

And, I suppose no one has missed 'eve and sìk...

[Kì’onga Vul]

"Vittra" is really interesting.  It's interesting to think how that might relate to "soul."

Actually, when I saw that "Lance R. Casey" had posted in this thread, I thought, I wonder if he's going to have some Klingon words for us!

[Lance R. Casey]

Actually, when I saw that "Lance R. Casey" had posted in this thread, I thought, I wonder if he's going to have some Klingon words for us!

Never doubt!