Implicatures in Na'vi

--- by JLS
------ for the GC

---- Na'vi was created, alas, not by the Avatar critters, but, on commission, by P. Frommer, of that elitist uni on the Pacific: USC, where Grice taught for some time. Grice's main link in USC (that elitist see on the Pacific) was B. Loar. USC (a very elitist site, compared to the more populist UCLA) has Gricean connections.

Frommer writes of Na'vi:

'aw [ʔaw] n. One (number). 'awpo [ʔaw.'po] pn. One (person)

In this case, the 'person' is in brackets, for surely one can say, in English, "No one came to the party". We don't mean 'atoms', but people. Odd, that. (But it boringly follows from the cooperative principle and the maxim of informativeness: it is overinformative to say that 'atoms' came to the party).

'eko ['ʔɛ.ko] n. Attack

The na'vi speakers, unlike English in the time of Shakespeare -- were into war, hence the profussion of verbs, etc., indicating their aggressive nature. The colour 'blue' in the pigment of their skin (I follow an argument by Kramer here) is also 'little natural' on Earth, but it possibly follows some aggressive pattern of the na'vi speakers.

'eveng ► ['ʔɛ.vɛŋ] n. Child

This is a useful word, which English has lot. I 'saw two children in the park', I say, as I come across Richard and Margaret Einstein, the son and daughter of Einstein: aged, respectively, 67 and 72. They are, strictly, 'children', or 'eweng' if you must (to disimplicate).

'evi ['ʔɛ.vi] n. Kid (affectionate form of "child")

Here it is good that they care for 'metaphor'. They don't. Surely I don't expect you can use 'evi to mean, literally, the mammal that a kid (not a homo sapiens) is. But then, I'm not sure if they do have (literal) kids. (I have not seen the film -- it is what we call a kiddies film).

'ì'awn ['ʔɪ.ʔawn] v. Remain, stay

This sounds like 'yawn', which is appropriate, because 'stato' is one of the most boring words in any language, "Shakespeare a stato" un poet. He has been or stayed or remained a poet. The implicatures of 'stay' are hateful. Cfr. the Mexicans in the USA ("Estoy cansado", "I stay tired" -- 'typical'? versus "I AM tired" -- 'soy cansado'. More typical?).

'itan [ʔi.'tan] n. Son
'ite ['ʔi.tɛ] n. Daughter

This is useful. It strikes me as artificial that, in inglisi (or English, in na'vi), son and daughter bear different 'roots', when they bear, literally, the same sperm.

'upe ['ʔu.pɛ] n. What (thing)

This needs order-quantification. What thing is in the eye of the beholder? "Beauty". But surely beauty is NOT a 'what' (or thing, or 'upe, if you must) in the sense that "La Gioconda" (the canvas at the Louvre) is a beautiful thing.

a [a] adj. Which,that
This is interesting to keep as a note to see if it shed light on the 'demonstrative' system: apparently, like English, they lack a 'medial' demonstrative that the Mexicans have ('esto', 'eso', 'aquello'). In English it's THIS or THAT. The that is the 'a' in n'avi.

Amhul ['am.hul] n. (child's name) (no literal translation)
Änsìt ['æn.sɪt] n. (child's name) (no literal translation)

Who cares? I mean, why would it have a 'literal translation'? Give me the implicature anyday!

apxa ► [ap'a] adj. Large

This is uninformative. We need to know the 'scale', or criteria. A giraffe, is it a 'large' animal? I suppose it is, but I'm less familiar with the scope of 'apxa'.

atokirina' [a.to.ki.ɾi.'naʔ] n. (Seeds of the great tree) (no literal translation)

Again, the phrase, 'no literal translation', irritates me. Surely a lexicon should be happy with 'paraphrases'. We are not expecting 'literal translations' even when we read a dictinary of Korean, are we?

aungia ['auŋ.i.a] n. Sign,omen

This is possibly a Gricean item in their vocabulary. It apparently ranges over both what Grice calls 'non-natural' (i.e. a fire, an artificial one) and 'natural' ones (e.g. a fire, an unintentional one).

ayfo ['aj.fo] pn. They
aylaru [aj.la.'ɾu] conj. To the others (contraction of aylaberu)

I hate those idioms. I mean, -- call me a na'vi prescriptivist, but why bother with the contraction if you can have the longer shot?

aynga ► ['aj.ŋa] pn. You

Here the lexicographer is being clumsy. They don't mean 'you' as in you, the reader of this. But as 'second person'. Recall that these things are blue, so person is a stretch here, as is 'second' possibly.

ayoe [aj.o.'ɛ] pn. We (exclusive)

Oddly, I use 'exclusive' only as a misuse of 'or', which is ALLWAYS (sic) inclusive. How 'we' can be exclusive beats me. Why, we may just as well say that "I", in na'vi, is exclusive (i.e. exclusive of all things which are not "I").

ayoeng [aj.o.'ɛŋ] pn. We (inclusive)

Aha. Inclusive of my brother?

eo [ɛo] pr. Before,in front of

Here the issue is metaphorical. Apaprently, the na'vi are incapable of metaphoric thought, and I praise them for it (I think Lakoff is one of the causes of the decay of western civilisations -- but I love him!). Consider Grice on 'in front of': 'liberty in front of justice'. Here 'in front of' is NOT spatial, but special. But we do not WANT to say that 'in front of' has acquired a metaphorical SENSE (the mere idea of it gives me the cringes). I expect 'eo' is used just literally in na'vi.

Eyaye [ɛ.'ja.je] n. Warbonnet (plant species) (no literal translation)

If there is a thing that botanists do NOT need is a literal translation of all the stupid bio-diversity in the vegetal realm that we have.

eyk ► [ɛjk] v. Lead
eyktan ['ɛjk.tan] n. Leader

Cfr. utter, utterer, speak, speaker, f*ck, f*cker. Apparently, '-an' is the formative suffix. As such, I expect to be included in the lexicon. We are abstract enough to be able to cope with that.

Eywa ► ['ɛj.wa] n. (World spirit; Na'vi guiding force. "Gaia") (no literal translation)

Again, avoid that silly 'no literal translation'. It is even MORE irritating that 'expletive deleted'.

Eywa ngahu ['ɛj.wa 'ŋa.hu] int. Good-bye,Eywa (be with you)

'be with you' is a misnomer, and 'god' (as in "Good-be with you") has nothing to do with the na'vi, I expect. I would tranlate those as Italian, Ciao. (Literal translation: I am your slave (schiavo).

fa [fa] pr. With (by means of)

This is reminiscent of Kramer's adage: To a man with a hammer, all looks like a nail. 'fa', with is different from 'by means of'. He hit the nail WITH a hammer. By means of a hammer sounds silly.

faheu ['fa.hɛ.u] v. Smell

As with 'large', we lack the important Wittgensteinian 'criteria'. How strong must the thing 'go' to call it 'smelly'? (Are There odourless things in Na'vi?)

faketuan [fa.'kɛ.tu.an] n. Alien (non-Na'vi)

This is a good one. It's the 'barbaros' of the Greek. I expect they are not racist, and they just mean, as the Greeks did, someone 'who does not manage the lingo alright'. Cfr. Sting's homage to Q. Crisp ("I'm a legal alien: I'm an Englishman in New York").

fì'u ['fɪ.ʔu] pn. This (thing)

Again, the 'thing' is otiose. What is this THING called love? Porter asked -- but then he lacked a thing (a leg).

fìfya ['fɪf.ja] pn. This (this way, like this)

Yes, this is useful. Or not (as Kramer would say). "Like this?". Like what? What do the na'vi mean, 'like'? "I felt like shit this morning" -- surely something a 'turd' won't say.

fìkem ['fɪ.kɛm] pn. This (action)

This needs special attention in articulation. It can dangerously assimilate to 'f*ck them'.

fìpo ['fɪ.po] pn. This (person or thing)

I like the inclusive distunction, 'or thing'. E.g. 'dog'. Old Mother Hubbard went to her cupboard to give 'fipo' a bone.

fìtseng(e) [fɪ.'ʦɛŋɛ] pn. This,here (here, this place)

This is what Levinson (and everyone else, but I must name-drop, on occasion, in this blog) calls a 'deictic'. 'place' is abstract. "Where are you?". "In hell". While it is always true to say that you are 'here', it is not necessarily true to say that one is in one 'place'. This is etymological: 'place' means in Italian, 'piazza', as in Piazza Navona. And not every place is a platz.

fmawn [fmawn] n. News (news, something to report)

Like 'omen', this is possibly a Griceanism, i.e. a Gricean influence on Frommer. Surely _anything_ can be reported. The idea that it -- or it -- has to be 'news' is otiose.

fpi ► [fpi] i. For the sake of

I am disappointed that the na'vi feel a need for this: one of the most otiose things in English: "For the love of Mike", 'for the sake of'. It strikes me as a truism that, ALLWAYS, 'for the sake of x', can be rephrased by the shorter (cfr. Grice, 'be brief') 'x': "She did it for the sake of a F*ck").

fpxafaw ['fp'a.faw] n. Medusa (animal) (no literal translation)

Well, in Greek it does have a literal translation. If there is one thing I never forgave the Romans for is the way they mistransliteratred the 'ou' in e.g. Medousa into an 'u', "Medusa".

fra'u [fɾapo] pn. Everything

Or, as I prefer, 'all'.

frapo [fɾaʔu] pn. Everyone

How can it be 'every' and 'one'. Surely 'all' is a better translation. (If you think that 'everyone' is distributive, I use 'distributive' for IMPORTANT things like Rawls's idea of justice (vs. retributive).

fte [ftɛ] conj. So that

The na'vi seem wiser than the English here in that it always struck me as clumsy that the English need TWO particles (albeit short: 'so', 'that') to mean a SINGLE idea, best translated as fte' in na'vi.

fteke ['ftɛ.kɛ] conj. So that not,lest

You see what I mean. Surely it's a single idea. The fact that in English it IS one single word WHEN negation is 'embedded' irritates me slightly though (cf. Kipling, Let's forget -- versus lest WE forget).

ftia ['fti.a] v. Study

I never understood the grammar of 'study'. As a student, I never knew what I was supposed to be doing. It struck me that students are mainly interested in Spring break, and that 'to study' (or ftia, strictly) is something you don't need school or college for.

ftu [ftu] pr. From (direction)

As opposed to ...? I mean: surely 'from' IS direction. It reminds me when Tara Palmer (who wrote this social column in the Daily Telegraph) was once reported as being 'Is on vacation'. "As opposed to what?" a reader complained. (And no, she was not NOT "Disgusted, Tunbridge Wells").

ftue ['ftu.ɛ] adj. Easy

Like 'large', and 'smelly', this requires a Wittgeinsteinian criteria. Otherwise, it becomes an otiose lexeme that, by definition, we can do without.

ftxey [ft'ɛj] v. Choose

This is optimisitc since it presupposes that Cartesianism runs amok among the na'vi. Surely for Strawson ("Freedom and resentment") there is no thing as choose-choose. Would the na'vi choose to be not blue, if they could?

fu [fu] conj. Or

We need a corpus here. I expect it's the wedge of the logician (p v q), rather than the 'p w q'. And it's not really a 'conj.', but a 'disj.' if you must.

fyape ['fja.pɛ] conj. How

Well, apparently, they don't have that otiose restriction in English and Indo-European that most x-words beging with 'wh-' (except 'how').

ha [ha] conj. So (so, "in that case")

This is a Griceanism: "He is a na'vi; he is, so, brave". Marker of conventional implicatum

hì'i ['hɪ.ʔi] adj. Small

Opposite: 'large'. But what scale, or criterion? I too wonder if it can be used, as I hope not, metaphorically: "small business", 'small point', 'small sh*t'. It strikes me that if this is strictly a SPATIAL category it minimised things (diminishes them) when applied to 'non-spatial' thing: 'a small idea'.

hiyìk ['hi.jɪk] adj. Funny,strange

Or 'queer', if you must. I hope the na'vi are intelligent enough NOT to have to rely on 'funny-ha-ha'.

hrrap ► [hrap] n. Danger

Cfr. 'attack'. These na'vi seem, like the Eskimo, but only different, to be too obsessed with the chances of their own survival.

hu [hu] adj. With (accompaniment)

As opposed to ...? The bracketed 'accompaniment' is one of the most otiose things I've read today, etc. True, 'with' did MEAN, 'against' in English. "Paul with Peter". Paul versus Peter. And it's NOT an adj.!

hufwe ► ['huf.wɛ] n. Wind

J. Kennedy will wonder if this can be used 'fig.': 'break wind'.

i'en [i.'ʔɛn] n. Stringed instrument

Not informative enough. Number of chords at least important to know. And also how they are tuned? Is it like a guitar, that goes E, A, D, B, G, E?

Iknimaya [ik.ni.ma.'ja] n. Thundering rocks,Stairway to Heaven (floating mountains)
(no literal translation)

This is a 'gaffe' by Frommers. The litearl translation IS Himalaya.

ioang ► ['i.o.aŋ] n. Animal,beast

Grice discusses this. Is this a conventional implicature? Are na'vi 'animals' themselves, as we, humans, ARE? It looks that they are victims, like some of the clumsy amongst us, of 'narrowing' here: using 'ioang' to IMPLICATE 'beast', only (but not to 'mean' it strictly or literally).

irayo ► [i.'ɾa.jo] n,i. Thank you

I wonder if that's compositional as in the English, "I thank you for what you've done". It is marked 'i' for 'interjection' but also as 'noun', so one wonders.

kaltxì ► [kal.'t'ɪ] n. Hello

This is good. Like 'ciao' for bye bye. In a way, Italian is even smarter here in that the same noise ('ciao') can mean both 'hi' and 'bye'.

kame ['ka.mɛ] v. See (spiritual sense)

If the lexicographer keeps being so anti-Gricean, he'll kill all motivation to lean the stuff. Surely there is no such sense!

kangay ['kaŋ.aj] adj. Valid

This should possibly interest R. B. Jones.

karyu ['kaɾ.ju] n. Teacher

The point here is whether the word carries the same stupid implicature as it does in English. "She taught me many stupid things, such that 2 + 2 = 5".

kawkrr [kaw.'kr] adv. Never

Instead of the otiosities they provide for 'usual phrases', I suggest, "kawkrr ete kawkrr", never say never.

kawng [kawŋ] adj. Bad,evil

Are THEY the same thing? It strikes me that 'evil' is an otiose concept. Surely M. Jackson would never have had a hit, "I'm evil", even if he was.

kawtu [kaw.'tu] pn. No one

i.e. not one.

ke [kɛ] adv. Not

Well, I guess we can expand on that. Or not.

ke'u ► ['kɛ.ʔu] n. Nothing

As in 'no-thing' is in the eye of the beholder.

kea ['kɛ.a] adj. No (before a noun)

Oddly, 'kia' is one of the worst places to buy furniture so I'm not surprised.

kehe ['kɛ.hɛ] adv. No

Adv? Why not 'not'?

Kelutrel ['kɛl.u.tɾɛl] n. Hometree (tree for living in) (no literal translation)

And why would we need it? The literal translation, I mean?

kempe ['kɛm.pɛ] pn. What (action)

Action? What have you done in the bathroom? Versus "What have you MADE in the bathroom?"

kenong ['kɛ.noŋ] v. Model,represent,exemplify

This is possibly a Griceanism. "If there is one thing England cannot do is to engage in a cricket match with Australia: a team will 'represent' her".

kì'ong ['kɪ.ʔoŋ] n. (species of fruit or vegetable) (no literal translation)

Again, uninformative. The least thing I may need to know is if it's edible. Or something (I suppose EVERYTHING is edible, so what I mean, 'edible and such that you survive after eating it').

kinam ► ['ki.nam] n. Leg

This should interest L. M. Tapper. As he notes, the correct word in Victorian days was 'limb', but I'm less sure if they have "tables" in Na'vi.

kìyevame ► [kɪ.jɛ.'va.mɛ] n. Good-bye (good-bye, see you again soon)

It strikes me that 'auf wieder sehen' is a bit of a stretch for this 'noun'. I never understood it. How 'soon'?

krr ► [kr] n. Time

So, they have it.

krrpe ► [kr.'pɛ] adv. When

Intersting. Opposite: where.

kxamtseng ['k'am.ʦɛŋ] n. Center (or place in the middle)

As in 'hole in the middle'. Surely that's the centre.

kxanì ► [k'anɪ] adj. Forbidden

The problem here is Hartian: is this a Kelsenian positivistic sense, "it is NOT accepted to pee on the grass", or more Kantian: "it is not acceptABLE to pee on the grass"?

kxawm ► [k'awm] adv. Perhaps,maybe

This should contrast with 'tautologies' ("2 = 2 - 4"). It strikes me as an anti-Gricean lexeme. Surely everything is a matter of 'maybe' or 'perhaps' if you look at it (and even if you don't) ("I am going to Tokyo in five weeks").

kxener ['k'ɛ.nɛɾ] n. (species of fruit or vegetable) (no literal translation)

Again. I suppose it's edible, since I don't think I can think of anything more otiose than an unedible vegatable (cfr. Grice on 'cabbages' (and kings) in "Aspects of Reason").

kxetse ['k'ɛ.ʦɛ] n. Tail

Cfr. Grice, "Can I have a pain in my tail?"

lam [lam] v. Seem,appear

A Griceanism. Cfr. 'The causal theory of perception'. "The pillar box seems/appear red. In fact, it bloody well is". I expect that na'vi are as intelligent as Grice was to allow to disimplicate 'appear' of its hateful implicata ("To say that a thing appears or seems x usually carries with it a weak implicature, which, as such, is defeasible, to the effect that the thing is not, really, x. Stupid.").

lapo ['la.po] pn. Other ("other one," a person or thing)

The idea of 'thing' is interesting. Since as Butler says, "When we say the other we don't necessarily mean 'person'".

law [law] adj. Clear,certain

This is a Cartesianism: Clear and distinct ideas giving us the notion of objective certainty: "I am certain that..." (law) versus "It is certain that" (law). Sadly, the na'vi seem as stupid as most English speakers who stupidly on occasion make that silly distinction: surely if something ('it') is certain, it is because 'you' are certain about it (i.e. about it being certain). Or something.

Lenay'ga ['lɛ.naj.ʔga] n. Slinger (a predatory creature) (no literal translation)

I would need to know genus and species. Surely I cannot be satisfied with a functionalist paraphrase like that.

lì'u ['lɪ.ʔu] n. Word

As Austin would say, what is one? (Cfr. Geary).

lu [lu] v. Be (am, is, are)

The conjugational capacities look patronising: Implicature: they speak like "Tarzan".

lumpe ['lum.pɛ] adv. Why

Cfr. I. Correy, 'lumpe' wearing sport shoes.

mefo ['mɛ.fo] pn. They (those two)

The idea (or twin idea) seems to be that they engage, like the Ancient Greeks, in the grammatical realisation of the 'dual'. Homer occasionally used the dual, as when he has the horses of Achilles say things.

menari ► [mɛ.'na.ɾi] n. Eyes (two)

Boring. Surely the number of eyes has nothing to do with anything. (Cfr. Humpty Dumpty's remark on the way Alice looks -- so like any other girl: two eyes, one mouth).

mì [mɪ] pr. In

"If one thing irriates me," Grice writes, "is when people ask about the 'meaning' of "in"" (WoW:iii -- Modified Occam's razor).

moe ['mo.ɛ] pn. We (we two, exclusive)

Exclusive of all the unimportant rest.

na ► [na] adv,conj. Like,as

As in "She is queer as a coot". "She is as drunk as Peter". "But Peter is sober". "That's what I mean: she is not drunk at all." "But then you are an idiot".

Na'vi ► [naʔ.'vi] n. The People (name for themselves)

Ah well. Oddly, when my mother uses 'people' she never means herself.

nang [naŋ] i. (particle for surprise or exclamation) (no literal translation)

How about 'f*ck'?

ne [nɛ] adv. To (direction)

As opposed to 'too' in "Susan is a lesbian", "And Maggie, too".

ne kllte! [nɛ kl:.'tɛ] i. Get down! ("To the ground!")

As opposed to 'go down'. These 'na'vi' ARE onto attack all the time. It bores me slightly.

nekx ► [nɛk'] v. Burn,consume

This is sad: that they cannot think of a market consumer-based economy without thinking 'fire'.

ngay [ŋaj] adj. True

An otiosity in all conversational contexts. "Bastard". "True". "True what?".

ngenga ['ŋɛ.ŋa] pn. You (honorific form)

What's honorific about 'you'? I think they mean 'power' versus 'solidarity'.

nì'awtu [nɪ.'ʔaw.tu] adj. Alone (as one person)

Or one dick.

Nìayoeg [nɪ.'aj.o.ɛg] adj,i. Like us

Which are so "unlike us".

nìftxavang [nɪ.'ft'a.vaŋ] adv. Passionately,with all heart

Heart? I hope they are not as confused as some romantics are as to the spring of passion.

nìhawng [nɪ.'hawŋ] adv. Too (too, excessively)

This requires a criterion. How can 'too' NOT be excessively? One wonders it it carries a negative implicature about it ("She loves me too much" -- "She is not too rich, though").

nìngay [nɪŋ.'aj] adv. Truly

Or, as I prefer, 'very' (eymologically, 'verily', i.e. truly).

nìtam [nɪ.'tam] adj. Enough

So, 'more than enough is too much' IS a piece of na'vi wisdom too. Boring.

nìwotx ► [nɪ.'wot'] a. All ("all of," completely)

Unwanted implicature: "He ate all of the apple" (Kroch). "The seeds included?". "Your questions bore me".

nulkrr [nul.'kr] adj. Longer (time)

Or dick.

nume [nu.'mɛ] v. Learn

Cfr. 'teach'. "Today I learned that 2 + 2 = 5."

oe ► ['o.ɛ] pn. I

"pn"?

oeng ['o.ɛŋ] pn. We ("we two," you and I)

And the one in between.

ohe ['o.hɛ] pn. I (deferential or ceremonial form)

As in "let me shit in peace".

Omatikaya [om.a.ti.'kaj.a] n. Blue Flute Clan (no literal translation)

I don't think we need it.

omum ► ['o.mum] v. Know

As in "Ptolemy knew that the sun was the centre of the universe".

pa'li ['paʔ.li] n. Direhorse (no literal translation)

Other than 'direhorse'.

pak [pak] i. (particle for surprise or exclamation) (no literal translation)

But still different from 'f*ck'.

palulukan ['pa.lu.'lu.kan] n. Thanator ("Dry Mouth Bringer of Fear") (no literal translation)

Thank you.

pänutìng [pæ.'nu.tɪŋ] v. Promise (a thing to someone)

Is it a 'thing' that is promised? "I promise you'll get a good f-ck". Cfr. habitual misuse, "I promise I never made love to him".

pe [pɛ] pn,adv. What (before a noun)

Such as 'pee'. What pee? pe pe.

pehem ['pɛ.hɛm] pn,adv. What (action)

As in 'what have you done in the bathroom?'

pehrr [pɛ.'hr] adv. When

Opposite, 'where'.

pelun ► ['pɛ.lun] adv. Why

cfr. 'why' are you wearing sports shoes?

pesu ['pɛ.su] pn. Who

The wind produces a sound on the door. "Who's there?". (Litearlly, no who).

peu ['pɛ.u] pn,adv. What (thing)

It seems the na'vi are Aristoteian. Everything is a substance, or something.

po [po] pn. He,she

Good. Never 'it': po is never it.

poan [po.'an] pn. He

As opposed to ...?

poe [po.'ɛ] pn. She

As opposed to ...? Is a crossdresser a 'she' though?

pxay ► [p'aj] adj,pn. Many

Pleonetetic quantifier. Unwanted implicature: a lot.

pxel ► [p'ɛl] adv. Like,as

Cfr. "She was as dead as he was". "But he is alive". "That's what I mean" "Huh?".

rä'ä ► ['ɾæ.ʔæ] v. Do not (negative)

Irishism. Cf. J. Kennedy.

ral [ɾal] n. Meaning

This is the Gricean lexeme par excellence. And it is a noun alright. Frege's Sinn und Bedeuting all rolled into one.

Ralu ['ɾa.lu] n. (child's name) (no literal translation)

But is it a girl's name? (I need to know).

rawke [ɾaw.'kɛ] n. (alarm cry) (no literal translation)

When does an alarm cry have a literal translation? Oddly, 'shit!' can be an alarm cry, and possibly it does have a literal translation ("merde"). But the implicature is defeated every time (except when it's not).

riti [ɾiti] n. Stingbat (no literal translation)

Genus?

sat [sat] pn. That (after ftu only)

I hate those exclusionary (as Kramer would call them) rules. What IS the implicatum if you use 'sat' NOT after 'ftu'? Is the implication that the result is ungrammatical, senseless, or inappropriate?

seze ['sɛ.zɛ] n. (blue flower) (no literal translation)

Cfr. Lawrence ("What is that?"). Peasant: "C'e un fiore". It's a 'seze': a blue bell.

si [sɪ] v. Do,make

Surely this is an advantage. I find that to distinguish between doing a cake and making one otiose.

sì [si] conj. And

Cfr. "She broke wind and ate". The 'then' as merely implicated.

sìlronsem ► [sɪl.'ɾon.sɛm] adj. Clever (thing)

How can a 'thing' be clever? Surely it springs from a "person" being clever -- always.

sìltsan [sɪl.'ʦan] adj. Good

Cfr. Grice on the implicature of 'good': "Now, that was a good film". "Usually, 'good' carries no semantic import: it merely implicates that you liked it, or that you think that you addresee will like it, hopefully".

skxawng ► [skʔawŋ] n. Moron

'arsehole', literally. (wng + skxa).

slä [slæ] conj. But

Bah! I thought they could do with out it ("No buts about it" -- Na'vi). "She was a prostitute, but she was clever". (Grice on the hateful conventional implicature thereof).

srak(e) [sɾak(ɛ)] ?. (marker for yes-no questions)

This strikes me as too oppressive. Surely the important thing is that you are questioning; never mind the form ('yes/no' versus 'x-question'). Plus, one is never sure what the answer will be. "Srake bastard" is thus ambiguous as to 'what bastard' x-question and 'bastard simpliciter?' yes-no question. But surely it's up to the addressee to figure that out. To implicate that he is dim enough NOT to know looks patronising (on the face of it).

srung [sɾuŋ] n. Help (assistance)

I.e. not as in that idiotic English solecism, "She can't help it". "Help the dog?".

stum [stum] adv. Almost

But sans the odious implicature, "all-most".

swirä ► ['swi.ɾæ] n. Creature

But without the 'divine' implicature that God made them little bees.

ta [ta] pr. From (various uses)

Exactly. As various as 'from' in English: 'from' what you say, you are stupid. "From Hamburg to Dresden I drive". "She is different THAN he". Etc.

talioang ['tal.i.'o.aŋ] n. Sturmbeest (no literal translation)

Thank you.

tangek ► ['taŋ.ɛk] n. Trunk (of a tree)

These na'vi seem more concerned than the English about the Gricean 'avoid ambiguity'. "Hey, it's an elephant!" "So?". "So, it is not a trunk of a tree. [tangek]."

tawng [tawŋ] n. Duck

While I can merge a few Gricean maxims onto one or two, I won't have 'duck' for the whole gamut of the most interesting things to shoot at. (in season) - as my brother would say.

Tawtute ['taw.tu.tɛ] n. Sky Person (no literal translation)

Exactly. Rather, a literal translation (such as 'sky person') is so stupid that it defeats understanding.

te /tɛ/ pa. (particle used in full names)

As in Margaret von Trotten.

tengfya ['tɛŋ.fja] adj,conj. As ("same way as")

As in 'queer as a coot'. "But he is straight!". "And why would a coot be queer anways? Your bias bores me."

tengkrr [tɛŋ.'kr] conj,pr. While (same time as)

This is a good Kramerianism. "She was having a shower while he was not". Cfr. 'whereas'.

terkup ► ['tɛɾ.kup] v. Die

Litearlly, 'kup' + 'ter': to cease to exist.

tìkenong [tɪ.'kɛ.noŋ] n. Example

This is Na'vi at its scholastic best. Grice uses 'example' irritatingly. "He hasn't been to prison yet" is a good 'example', Grice writes, of an implicature. Why? Should all examples be so artificially created? Note that the Romans are wiser, 'ex gratia', by the grace, literally.

tìng [tɪŋ] v. Give

What we need to be told if they allow for that perfect solecism that the passive and middle voice bring [sic] to English. "I am given" = implicated, "I receive".

tìngay [tɪŋ] n. Truth

As in the otiose Ramsey redundancy: "The truth is we are blue". "We are blue [coloured]."

to [to] conj. Than; comparative mark

Mark of prestige, rather. Otiose. The Latins never needed a 'mark' like that. Surely 'er' as in "gooder" is comparatively marked enough!

tok [tok] v. Be at,occupy a space

Implicature: "My grandfahter took this chair". Gloss: "occupies a space" (tok) usually carries the unwanted 'implicature' that the place (usually a chair) could have been occupied elsewho."

tokx ► [tok'] n. Body

Seeing that they also have a word for 'mind', I am unhappy to report that they have fallen victims of the Cartesian 'ghost in the machine' alright. I was expecting a more 'hip' Church-ianism (after the Churches: Patricia and hubby) from someone at USC.

tompa ► ['tom.pa] n. Rain

Rain? Surely that's a stupid word. We need hyetal qualifiers.

toruk ► ['to.ɾuk] n. Great leonopteryx ("last shadow") (no literal translation)

Thank you.

tsa'u [ʦa.'ʔu] pn. That (thing)

Distal demonstrative. Apparently, the na'vi don't have 'medial' demonstratives.

tsakem ['ʦa.kɛm] pn. That (action)

Why just 'action'? And they shouldn't be so statutory about it. I'm sure they don't have any idea what an 'action' is (I don't, either, and having read all that Bruce Aune wrote about them) even if you axed (literally) them!

tsakrr [ʦa.'kr] pn. Then (at that time)

As opposed to 'then' at that 'place'?

tsat [ʦat] pn. That (as object)

This is hateful. They make such unarticulated distinction: object-subject? Give me a break!

tsatseng ['ʦa.ʦɛŋ] adv. There (that place)

As opposed to 'there that time'? I hope they don't implicate hatefully as the English do here: "Is there anything else you want to add?". "There? -- There where?".

tsatu ['ʦat.u] pn. That (person)

Never dog.

tsawl [ʦawl] adj. Big (in stature)

I think this is good, because in America they are using 'big' with unwanted 'implicatures' now: "Big and Tall". "Big and Tall" would be redundant in Na'vi: tsawl ok tsawl.

tse'a ► ['ʦɛ.ʔa] v. See (physical sense)

This IS hateful. Surey that's the ONLY POSSIBLE sense. The problem with Na'vi is not so much the lingo but the linguist behind it (Frommers -- as in Frommers' guide to Na'vi). Cfr. Humpty Dumpty, "I see what you mean". "If you do, you have better eyes than most, dear".

tseo ['ʦɛ.o] n. Art

As in Piccaso.

tsko [ʦam] n. Bow (weapon)

As opposed to...? Surely 'bow' as the thing on the hair of laides is a homophony.

tsleng [ʦlɛŋ] adj. FALSE

I hope no 'unwanted' bad implicature follows. "My aunt is a false [sleng] person: she is usually wrong in the right ways."

tsnì [ʦnɪ] pn. That

Distal but not medial demonstrative.

tspang [ʦpaŋ] v. Kill

Literally, 'pang' + 'ts-', to cause to cease to exist. (cfr. Lakoff/Johnson, "Conversational postulates, revisited").

tsteu ['ʦtɛ.u] adj. Brave

Cfr. "She is one of us (the people, 'na'vi), she is," Jack said, "therefore 'brave'". One would hope as much better from the na'vi.

tupe [tu.'pɛ] adv. Who

Not to use for 'dogs' and 'cats'.

tute ['tu.tɛ] n. Person

Including them.

tutean [tu.tɛ.'an] n,adj. Male (person)

I.e. with a penis.

tutee [tu.tɛ.'ɛ] n,adj. Female (person)

I.e. with a vag*na. Cfr. Speranza, "Transgender issues in Na'vi identities: is an operated femle still a tutee?". "Queer Na'vi".

txan [t'an] adj. Great,much,many

How 'many' is 'great'? (Clumsily in Na'vi: 'txan txan txan').

txantslusam ['t'an.ʦlu.sam] adj. Wise (much-knowing)

Odd. In English, 'wise' does NOT implicate 'know': The wizard of Oz. Surey he doesn't know 'diddly'.

txele ['t'ɛ.lɛ] n,v. Matter (subject)

As in the sentence, "it" is the subject of 'rains'.

txìm [t'ɪm] n. Butt,rear end

As in 'the rear end of all na'vi jokes'.

txo [t'o] conj. If

But understood as strict implication rather than Philonian (or "Megarian" as Grice prefers, WoW:iv) -- seeing that these 'peoples' are pretty primitive, logically and philosophically speaking. (Grice: "The implicature that attaches to 'if' in some carelss uses of our conditional utterances should be defeated, if it can").

txokefyaw ['t'o.kɛ.fjaw] conj. If not (or else)

This oddly combines the unwaned 'implicature' of inferrability that attaches loosely to 'if' (txo) and the negativeness of unwanted 'not'. "She is a lesbian if not an addict". "Huh?".

ulte ['ul.tɛ] conj. And

As in "2 + 2 = 4" (read: 'two and two make four').

Uniltaron ['un.il.ta.ɾon] n. Dream Hunt (no literal translation)

Thanks.

uniltìrantokx [un.il.tɪ.'ɾan.tok'] n. Avatar; dreamwalker body (no literal translation)

Good. Oddly, the film was dubbed "Un.il.tr.'ran.tok'" and that may explain why it never beat "Alice in Wonderland".

uniltìranyu [un.il.tɪ.'ɾan.ju] n. Dreamwalker (no literal translation)

Thanks.

utral ► ['u.tɾal] n. Tree

Cypress? Willow tree? Birch? Give me a break!

Utral Aymokriyä ['u.tɾal aj.'mok.ɾi.jæ] n. Tree of Voices (no literal translation)

Thanks. As opposed to your common or garden dumb one.

vofu [vo.'fu] n,adj. Sixteen

As in 'sweet vofu'.

vrrtep ► ['vr.tɛp] n. Demon

An evil thing, unless it's 'eu'-demon, the happy lot.

vul ► [vul] n. Branch (of a tree)

As opposed to the branch of a 'science'? I wasn't expecting so much subtlety from the blueys!

wintxu [win.'t'u] v. Show

As in 'show and tell.' An otiose verb, "She shows her legs".

wrrpa ['wr.pa] adj. Outside

Antonym, irrpa, inside.

wutso ['wut.so] n. Dinner,meal (served meal)

As opposed to meal which is just merely 'thrown at' you ('watso').

ye'rìn ['jɛ.ɾik] adv. Soon

"Memoirs of Na'vi", "I soon found out that, as in English, 're'rin' had no strict meaning attached to it. It could range from 'couple of minutes' ("I will ejaculate soon") to a year or more."

yey [jɛj] adj. Straight

cfr. 'yuy', queer.

yol [jol] adj. Long (period of time)

As opposed to 3,33333333 which is a long period, but not of time (not a yol).

yom [jom] v. Eat

Onom. -- "[etym. unkn. -- Isidore of Seville suggests, grossly, that in Na'vi, to eat, 'yom' is onomatopoetic in nature but we don't need to go there. He was a Spaniard, etc.]"

za'u ['za.ʔu] v. Come

Versus 'ze'u', cum.

zene ► ['zɛ.nɛ] v. Must

In "Refelctions on Na'vi Ethics", Abercrombie suggests, "'zene' is the teleological rather than the deontological 'must' we civilised people are more familiar with. The Na'vi can't tell an obligation from their elbows, or lower".

zoplo ['zo.plo] n. Offence,insult

Itself somewhat insulting.

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