What would your name be in Na'vi?

[Inari]

Hiya Folks,

Just for a bit of fun, I thought it would be an interesting exercise if we looked at the fictional Na'vi language and tried to figure out what our names would be if pronounced in Na'vi. It does not have certain sounds that we have in English so some approximations are required.

To get you started on this, you may require the following links:
1) The Na'vi pronunciation guide http://www.learnnavi.org/docs/Navi-Pronounciation.pdf
2) Instructions on how to change your keyboard layout to produce accented characters http://www.starr.net/is/type/kbh.html

After some work, I determined that my (real) name would most likely be Sänra, with the 'd' dropped (plenty of Asians do this already) or for my full name Sänra Kxìm Wila. For my usual 'handle'(Inari) it would probably be Ìnari...not much different.

So, I look forward to seeing what you all come up with!

Regards,

Ìnari :tongue21:

[jdmcowan]

Very nice, Inari. I find it very tough to figure out what a foreign language speaker might hear. I think your transcription is pretty good. Though I might have gone with Sänrra Kxìm Willa. (withdrawn - see my later message)

In my name the "j" is the toughest letter for them. It's a voiced palatoalveolar affricate and Na'vi does not have any voiced plosives, fricatives, or affricates and does not have any palatoalveolar sounds. However, I don't think it's too big of a jump for them to drop the voicing and move it slightly forward to the alveolar ridge. Each "d" in my middle name would also likely lose it's voicing. But I can't decide what they would do with the diphthong in my middle name since they don't have diphthongs. Since it's a stressed syllable anyway, I think there's a high likelyhood they would separate it into two vowels. So...

tseremi teivìt marnotes kxawän

[Inari]

Though I might have gone with Sänrra Kxìm Willa.


The Force save me from a trill on the 'r' lol. That is also good, I like the way that looks too.

Your name also looks very foreign and alluring in Na'vi. The 'Ts' is particularly nice.

[Kitsu Tails]

Okay...I am so lost when it come's to second languages. (As much as I dream to learn them) I'll be honest, it's just not one of those things I've ever understood...So... If someone is up to translating my name...I wont complain :-p

----

Camille Ann David

Kitsu Tails

....And for mommie's curiosity

Kairi

[Mindas Arran]

But I can't decide what they would do with the diphthong in my middle name since they don't have diphthongs.
Na'vi has 4 diphthongs: aw [aw], ew [εw], ay [ay], ey [εy].

[jdmcowan]

Na'vi has 4 diphthongs: aw [aw], ew [εw], ay [ay], ey [εy].

Oh yeah. Duh! Vowels don't form diphthongs, but semivowels do. I forgot about those. I also forgot that the "s" cannot be syllable final. Having been reminded of that my name should be...

Tseremi Teyvìt Marnotesì Kxawän

If heard all together, they might think the last two words were, "Marnote Skxawän."

And reviewing the pronunciation rules, I have to withdraw my suggestion for changes to Inari's names since neither the "r" nor the "l" are actually syllabic in her names.

So my go at Kitsu's names...

Kxamil An Teyvìt

Kxitsu Txeylzì

"....And for mommie's curiosity"

Kxayri

[Mindas Arran]

Just out of curiosity, why make the K an ejective? Couldn't you just use a K and then the dipthong 'ay' (K[ay]mil) or 'ey' (K[ey][tx]su)? Also, the spelling for Kairi doesn't sound right because the name is pronounced like (k=eye-ree). In fact, I haven't found a long I sound in Na'vi. Does it exist? I'm not a linguist, so I'm just making guesses! ^_^u

[jdmcowan]

I debated whether to use the ejective or just the plosive for a while. I'm not completely sure, but I think at the beginning of English words we tend to use a more ejective consonant anyway. But I wouldn't argue strongly for it. The plosive makes just as much sense - I just think an ejective at the beginning of the word sounds more correct for how I use English.

I'll give some examples of the vowel sounds to see if that helps you:
a - as 'o' in bot
ä - as in bat
aw - as 'ou' in bout
ay - as 'i' in bite
e - as in bet
ew - I don't think it exists in American English, but sort of like the 'ou' in the Canadian about
ey - as 'ai' in bait
i - as 'ee' in beet
ì - as in bit
o - as 'oa' in boat
u - as 'oo' in boot

Following are how I would normally show the English pronunciations for the way I assume the names are said:
Camille = Kah-meel, thus "Kxamil" or "Kamil" in Na'vi
Kitsu = Kee-tsoo, thus "Kxitsu" or "Kitsu" in Na'vi
Kairi = Kai-ree (with the 'ai' representing the diphthong we usually call the long I and like the word 'eye'), thus "Kxayri" or "Kayri"

In Na'vi "Kaymil" would sound like Kai-meal and "Keytxsu" would sound like the name Kate-Sue.

I hope that helps some.

[RyuJin]

holy tongue twisters....i have a knot to undo :D

[Setanaoko]

esh...the only one they say that I like, is my first name ;)


Alehtheha
Olehnneh
Ehnntonn

No "J" and no "B"...I should try after my soon to be last name...Thompson :D

[jdmcowan]

Sänra, tsayun nga nìNa'vi plltxe a fì'u nga ftia vay set srak?

Tseremi

[Inari]

Ok, I think that you are asking me in this question if I can speak many words in Navi and there is something there about study too. I had to look up words. That will probably answer your question, but to be 'proper'.

Kehe. Oel rä'ä aykrräng ftia. Nga ayftia srak?

[Mindas Arran]

http://www.learnnavi.org/docs/Learn-Navi-Activity-Book.pdf

[Inari]

I've been doing activity sheets, just only so many hours in the day for study, especially with my uni course starting and a new job.

[jdmcowan]

Ok, I think that you are asking me in this question if I can speak many words in Navi and there is something there about study too. I had to look up words. That will probably answer your question, but to be 'proper'.

Tsayun nga nìNa'vi plltxe a fì'u nga ftia vay set srak?
"Are you still studying how to speak Na'vi?"

Kehe. Oel rä'ä aykrräng ftia. Nga ayftia srak?

Oel kop krrfpi poti rä'ä ftia.

BTW, I noticed you accidently put the infixes on the noun instead of the verb. Also as infixes they should go within the verb.

Tseremi

[Inari]

Irayo.