The loaned word puk

[Txepä Tsyal]

Kaltxì ma smuke,

I am trying to come up with a better word for "book" in Na'vi then the loaned word puk. I tried to visualize what a Na'vi would understand the idea of a book to be, and what they would call it (for example Avatars are called "dreamwalkers" which is symbolically if not factually accurate). The word I am thinking of is fpìlfya pengyu, literally "thought teller".

Opinions?

[kewnya txamew'itan]

I think the na'vi would probably just use a borrowed word. With the avatars they'd have encountered them before they heard the name nì'ìnglìsì so they'd have come up with there own name which stuck, same with tawtute. I imagine that they'd only encounter a book at Grace's school where she'd probably tell them the English word for it which would be borrowed, in short you can use a na'vi word if you like, but if you do you'll be like a very traditional hapxì na'viyä who refuses to use any words letawtute whilst the entire other half of the clan does.

[Txepä Tsyal]

I think the na'vi would probably just use a borrowed word. With the avatars they'd have encountered them before they heard the name nì'ìnglìsì so they'd have come up with there own name which stuck, same with tawtute. I imagine that they'd only encounter a book at Grace's school where she'd probably tell them the English word for it which would be borrowed, in short you can use a na'vi word if you like, but if you do you'll be like a very traditional hapxì na'viyä who refuses to use any words letawtute whilst the entire other half of the clan does.

You make a good point, so now I am stuck in a bit of a pickle. Be a traditionalist stick in the mud, or hop onto the proverbial band wagon and agree to use english words spelled differently for the convenience of Na'vi pronounciation?

Hhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm.............................

Well, while I ponder that, let me ask about how the Na'vi word for computer is Eltu Lefngap rather than kxompxutxer since it would be in the same situation as a book for naming.

[Dreamlight]

Eltu lefngap probably came from the explanation of what it is or how it works, albeit an inadequate one.  I don't really like "eltu lefngap" though; I can't really see them thinking of a computer as a "metallic brain", though a "brain" of some sort or another might be plausible.

"Puk" works for "book" for me.  It's certainly easy to say.    If a native word is more necessary, or more natural, or whatever, it would probably more likely come along the lines of "pamrel", which itself is a compound word (literally "sound-picture"), but still natural enough for conveying the concept.

['Oma Tirea]

"Puk" works for "book" for me.  It's certainly easy to say.    If a native word is more necessary, or more natural, or whatever, it would probably more likely come along the lines of "pamrel", which itself is a compound word (literally "sound-picture"), but still natural enough for conveying the concept.

Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhhhhh............

The loanword almost reminds me too much of puke

Well, while I ponder that, let me ask about how the Na'vi word for computer is Eltu Lefngap rather than kxompxutxer since it would be in the same situation as a book for naming.

A would-be "Kxompxutxer" for a loanword?  Not "Kampyutrr"?

Starting up a Na'vi proper allophony thread...

EDIT: Here it is

[Txepä Tsyal]

A would-be "Kxompxutxer" for a loanword?  Not "Kampyutrr"?

Starting up a Na'vi proper allophony thread...

Hrh, your suggestion makes a lot more sense. Goes to show that I need more pronunciation practice

[kewnya txamew'itan]

let me ask about how the Na'vi word for computer is Eltu Lefngap rather than kxompxutxer since it would be in the same situation as a book for naming.

Hmmm... good point, maybe Grace was less keen on teaching them the human name for it than explaining what it was although that isn't a great explanation.

"Puk" works for "book" for me.  It's certainly easy to say.    If a native word is more necessary, or more natural, or whatever, it would probably more likely come along the lines of "pamrel", which itself is a compound word (literally "sound-picture"), but still natural enough for conveying the concept.

Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhhhhh............

The loanword almost reminds me too much of puke

Well, while I ponder that, let me ask about how the Na'vi word for computer is Eltu Lefngap rather than kxompxutxer since it would be in the same situation as a book for naming.

A would-be "Kxompxutxer" for a loanword?  Not "Kampyutrr"?

Starting up a Na'vi proper allophony thread...

EDIT: Here it is

Why on earth would it have been ejective? Anyway, if the RDA as a whole speak with a GA accent then the t is going to be flapped so a na'vi r and you'd get kampyurur (which has an illegal consonant cluster) so I'll assume the trend of yod-dropping has extended by the time avatar takes place and go with kampurur or, possibly just kampur (otherwise when it's in the dative case that would be a bit annoying)