Difference between revisions of "Corpus"

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(Minor tweak; obtw I added an Audio Corpus section in my last edit. :))
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== Text Corpus ==
 
== Text Corpus ==
<br />
 
 
=== Activist Survival Guide ===
 
=== Activist Survival Guide ===
 
Longer passages of continuous Na'vi text can be found in the book released for the film, [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061896756?ie=UTF8&tag=sebaswolff-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061896756 ''James Cameron's Avatar: a Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora, an Activist Survival Guide''] HarperCollins Books, 2009.
 
Longer passages of continuous Na'vi text can be found in the book released for the film, [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061896756?ie=UTF8&tag=sebaswolff-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061896756 ''James Cameron's Avatar: a Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora, an Activist Survival Guide''] HarperCollins Books, 2009.
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* In some cases, we have canonical transcriptions of the spoken phrases available from other sources.
 
* In some cases, we have canonical transcriptions of the spoken phrases available from other sources.
  
=== Vanity Fair Interview ===
+
=== Vanity Fair ===
 
See above.  Note that the Na'vi transcription appears to be accurate, hence was probably supplied by Frommer, and hence is canonical.
 
See above.  Note that the Na'vi transcription appears to be accurate, hence was probably supplied by Frommer, and hence is canonical.
  
=== New York Times Article ===
+
=== New York Times ===
 
* "Yesterday I was with Txewì in the forest and we saw the biggest Trapper <nowiki>[type of carnivorous plant]</nowiki> I've ever seen."
 
* "Yesterday I was with Txewì in the forest and we saw the biggest Trapper <nowiki>[type of carnivorous plant]</nowiki> I've ever seen."
 
* "Those things are dangerous.  They can kill a person, you know."
 
* "Those things are dangerous.  They can kill a person, you know."
 
* "I know.  We were careful not to get too close."
 
* "I know.  We were careful not to get too close."
  
=== BBC Radio Interview ===
+
=== BBC Radio ===
 
* "I See you."
 
* "I See you."
 
* From the Activist Survival Guide, a portion of The Hunt Song: "You are fast and strong; you are wise. I must be fast and strong, so only if I'm worthy of you will you feed the people. Let my arrow strike true, let my spear strike the heart, let the truth strike my heart, let my heart be true."
 
* From the Activist Survival Guide, a portion of The Hunt Song: "You are fast and strong; you are wise. I must be fast and strong, so only if I'm worthy of you will you feed the people. Let my arrow strike true, let my spear strike the heart, let the truth strike my heart, let my heart be true."
 
* "Your alien smell fills my nose."
 
* "Your alien smell fills my nose."
  
=== NPR Interview ===
+
=== NPR ===
 
* Clip from the movie - Moat speaks to the Na'vi?
 
* Clip from the movie - Moat speaks to the Na'vi?
 
* "Hello Renee, I See you.  Are you well?  It's a pleasure to be able to chat with you."
 
* "Hello Renee, I See you.  Are you well?  It's a pleasure to be able to chat with you."
 
* "I See you." (short form)
 
* "I See you." (short form)
  
=== ABC News Nightline Interview ===
+
=== ABC News Nightline ===
 
* James Cameron: "I was going to kill him, but there was a sign from Eywa."
 
* James Cameron: "I was going to kill him, but there was a sign from Eywa."
 
* Paul Frommer:
 
* Paul Frommer:
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* Sigourney Weaver: "Moron"
 
* Sigourney Weaver: "Moron"
  
=== PBS Radio Interview ===
+
=== PBS Radio ===
 
* "Metal"
 
* "Metal"
 
* "Hello Annie, I See you."
 
* "Hello Annie, I See you."
  
=== Southern California Public Radio Interview ===
+
=== Southern California Public Radio ===
 
* "Hello."
 
* "Hello."
 
* ''meoauniaea '' - Frommer's favorite word (transcription source: Language Log post)
 
* ''meoauniaea '' - Frommer's favorite word (transcription source: Language Log post)
 
* "See you again."
 
* "See you again."
 
* "Eywa be with you."
 
* "Eywa be with you."

Revision as of 02:22, 12 January 2010

This is the canon of known good sentences in Na'vi with glosses, given out in interviews with Dr. Frommer.

Text Corpus

Activist Survival Guide

Longer passages of continuous Na'vi text can be found in the book released for the film, James Cameron's Avatar: a Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora, an Activist Survival Guide HarperCollins Books, 2009.

  • Weaving Song, page 41
  • Hunting Song, page 99

Science Magazine

From Science Magazine (subscription, I'm afraid; retrieved Dec 21 2009). They asked for the word for "science." Frommer replied:

tìftia kifkeyä
NMLZ-study world-GEN
the study of the physical world.

Language Log Blog Post

From his Language Log guest blog post (Dec 19 2009).

Oeri ta peyä fahew akewong ontu teya längu.
1-TOP from 3.POSS smell ATTR-alien nose full be-PEJ
My nose is full of his alien smell.

In the comments:

Tewti, ma Prrton! Plltxe nga nìltsan!
wow VOC Prrton speak you well
Wow, Prrton! You speak well!

Vanity Fair

Brushing up on the Language of Avatar (Dec 1 2009)

Kaltxì. Ngaru lu fpom srak?
Hello you-DAT be well-being Q
Hello, how are you?

Times Online

interview (December 12 2009)

Tsun oe ngahu nìNa'vi pivängkxo a fì'u oeru prrte' lu
able to 1 2-with ADV-Na'vi (?) that this.thing 1-DAT (?) be
It's a pleasure to be able to chat with you in Na'vi.
Fìskxawngìri tsap'alute sengi oe
this-idiot-TOP apology do<?> 1
I apologise for this moron.
Fayvrrtep fìtsenge lu kxanì
this-PL-demon this-place be forbidden
These demons are forbidden here

UGO Movie Blog

interview (Dec 14 2009)

Oel ngati kameie
1-A 2-P see-LAUD
I see you.

Form Letter

(Added Dec 22 2009)

Sent out by Dr. Frommer to his many correspondents interested in the language. He signed off with:

Kìyevame ulte Eywa ngahu.
goodbye and Eywa 2-with
See you again, and may Eywa be with you.

UGO Movie Blog (Twitter Questions)

(Added Dec 23 2009)

The interviewer at UGO asked for submissions from readers for Dr. Frommer to translate, We Translate your Phrases into Na'vi.

Txo new nga rivey, oehu!
if want 2 live<?> 1-with
Come with me if you want to live.
Tawsìp ngeyä lu sngeltseng.
sky-ship 2-GEN be garbage-dump
Your ship is a garbage scow. (lit "garbage dump")
Ayftozä Lefpom ta UGO!
PL-holiday ADJ-well.being from UGO
Happy Holidays from UGO!

Out of Office AutoReply

(Added Dec 27 2009)

The sign-off to an Out of Office AutoReply used by Frommer during semester break.

Ayftozä lefpom ayngaru nìwotx!
PL-holiday ADJ-well.being PL-2-DAT ADV-all/complete
Happy Holidays to You All!

MSNBC

(Added Dec 31 2009)

MSNBC Cosmic Log interview.

Neytiri herahaw.
Neytiri is sleeping.
Neytiril yerikit tolaron.
Neytiri hunted a hexapede.


Audio Corpus

Audio and video recordings (interviews, sound clips, etc) of Dr. Frommer speaking Na'vi can be considered canonical, although in most cases we do not have canonical transcriptions, and in some cases we can't even be sure we know what he's saying. Any analysis of the Na'vi language based on non-transcripted audio is even more speculative than usual. On the other hand, Frommer's recordings are the best canonical examples of correct pronunciation we have and may provide clues about stress patterns, intonation, and other phonetic nuances above and beyond the IPA given in his Language Log post.

Note the following:

  • The sound quality of some clips is rather poor, making them unreliable for pronunciation guidance.
  • In some clips, people such as James Cameron and Zoe Saldana speak some Na'vi. Their pronunciations may not be as reliable as Frommer's.
  • In some cases, we have canonical transcriptions of the spoken phrases available from other sources.

Vanity Fair

See above. Note that the Na'vi transcription appears to be accurate, hence was probably supplied by Frommer, and hence is canonical.

New York Times

  • "Yesterday I was with Txewì in the forest and we saw the biggest Trapper [type of carnivorous plant] I've ever seen."
  • "Those things are dangerous. They can kill a person, you know."
  • "I know. We were careful not to get too close."

BBC Radio

  • "I See you."
  • From the Activist Survival Guide, a portion of The Hunt Song: "You are fast and strong; you are wise. I must be fast and strong, so only if I'm worthy of you will you feed the people. Let my arrow strike true, let my spear strike the heart, let the truth strike my heart, let my heart be true."
  • "Your alien smell fills my nose."

NPR

  • Clip from the movie - Moat speaks to the Na'vi?
  • "Hello Renee, I See you. Are you well? It's a pleasure to be able to chat with you."
  • "I See you." (short form)

ABC News Nightline

  • James Cameron: "I was going to kill him, but there was a sign from Eywa."
  • Paul Frommer:
    • "These demons are forbidden here."
    • Explanation and demonstration of ejectives
    • Tsun oe ngahu p???ng??o a fì'u oeru prrt??lu - partial Na'vi transcript from whiteboard, no English given. This is almost certainly Tsun oe ngahu pivängkxo a fì’u oeru prrte’ lu "It's a pleasure to be able to chat with you."
  • Zoe Saldana: "Please forgive me brother, may you go to the grandmother, may the grandmother take you."
  • Sigourney Weaver: "Moron"

PBS Radio

  • "Metal"
  • "Hello Annie, I See you."

Southern California Public Radio

  • "Hello."
  • meoauniaea - Frommer's favorite word (transcription source: Language Log post)
  • "See you again."
  • "Eywa be with you."