Nav

Ian James
© January 2010

This script was inspired by the language used in James Cameron’s movie Avatar, released in December 2009. The language Na’vi was in turn invented by linguist Paul Frommer. The speakers of this language live on the fictional planetary moon Pandora in a natural symbiosis with the flora and fauna around them.

Notable features

• syllabic script built from phonetic components
• reads left to right
• easy to write
• aims for balance of organic, sophisticated and alien

Consonants

The phonology of Na’vi is fairly simple and euphonious. Here, each consonant is shown with the vowel /a/ attached and, where applicable, in its syllabic-final or solo form in the right column. It will be noticed that, except for the liquids and glides, there is a family of base shapes which are modifed for various articulations. In the official transcription used here, the only surprise is the set of ejectives, which have x as their second letter.

Vowels, pseudo-vowels, multi-vowels

Here are the other vowels, shown with the syllable onset /p/ attached. In the second line, the so-called pseudo-vowels /rr/ and /ll/ are shown, as well as a diphthong and a vowel cluster.

(There is still some uncertainty over correct resolution of diphthongs and glides within a string of vowels.)

Punctuation features simple diagonal slashes: one for comma, two for period, three for a stressed comment or exclamation.

Letrr Na’viyä

In addition, there is a non-cursive alphabet inspired by the look of letters printed in documents of the Sky People (humans).

Examples

There is [at the time of writing this] very little official material available regarding Na’vi dialogue. Here are some words and phrases gleaned from the internet.

Translations

1 Oeri ta peyä fahew akewong ontu teya längu.
My nose is full of his alien smell.

2 Fìskxawngìri tsap’alute sengi oe.
I apologise for this moron.

3 Oel ngati kameie.
I see you.

4 Txo new nga rivey, oehu!
Come with me if you want to live!

5 Eywa
the Pandoran deity

6 tiftia kifkeyä
science

Printing in Letrr Na’viyä

7 All human beings are born free and
equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with conscience and
reason and should act towards one
another in a spirit of
brotherhood.

A version of this page can also be found on Omniglot.