Word Creation
What do you do when you need to create a new word in Na'vi? While the Na'vi language is extensive, with more than 2,900 words available for use, occasionally we encounter the need to add a new word to the dictionary to cover a concept we don't currently have. Or perhaps we need to create a Na'vi name for a non-canon character, or for ourselves!
Na'vi names are fair game, and can be created freely. However, for new official words we turn to a process called the 'Lexical Expansion Project' or LEP for short. The LEP allows regular community members to create Na'vi words and submit them anonymously for Paul Frommer to consider as additions to the language.
To construct a new word, we must turn to the wordbuilding rules created by Paul Frommer. Na'vi words are composed of syllables- bite-sized collections of letters that together make up a word. Na'vi syllable creation is defined by eight distinct rules, which in turn allows eight types of syllables. The rules for syllable creation are as follows:
- A syllable may begin with a vowel.
- A syllable may end with a vowel.
- A syllable may begin with a consonant.
- A syllable may begin with a consonant cluster of f, s, or ts + p, t, k, px, tx, kx, m, n, ng, r, l, w or y.
- A syllable may end with px, tx, kx, p, t, k, ', m, n, l, r or ng.
- A syllable may not end with ts, f, s, h, v, z, w or y.
- A syllable may not end with a consonant cluster.
- A syllable with a pseudovowel must start with a consonant or consonant cluster and must not end with a consonant.
These rules have governed the creation of every single word in the Na'vi language, and must be used when creating new words to keep the lexicon of the language consistent.
To create a Na'vi name, check out our Na'vi name generator tool. For other help, or to submit proposed words to the LEP, visit us on Discord!
Syllable Creation Tool
Sorry, this tool has not been formatted for mobile use yet. To view it, please visit us on a computer or tablet!
Below you will find a helpful interactive tool which can assist with word or name creation. To use this tool, start with the left column and click or tap one of the available boxes. The next section will then show you which letters are available to come next in the syllable. To restart, click the reset button below.
Pre-Consonant
s
ts
Onset Consonant
f
h
s
ts
v
z
kx
m
n
w
y
ng
p
px
t
tx
Vowel
ä
aw
ay
e
ew
ey
i
ì
o
u
ù*
Coda Consonant
k
kx
l
m
n
ng
p
px
r
t
tx
*Note: The vowel ù is only available in the Reef Na'vi dialect. To learn more about the differences between Reef and Forest Na'vi, visit our page dedicated specifically to the rules of Reef Na'vi.