From Na’vi to Old Norse: Languages both dead and out of this world make an appearance in new and upcoming films

Posted by Alex on March 9, 2010 under Language Study | Read the First Comment

In James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar, the planet Pandora may just be special effects, and the story just an updated version of Pocahontas, but the Na’vi language spoken is a complex and original language developed for the film by a University of Southern California linguist, reported ABC News on Friday.

The language, four years in the making, boasts a 1000-plus word vocabulary, conjugated verbs, and specific pronunciation. It was designed by Dr. Paul Frommer to be easily pronounced by the film’s actors and to fit the aesthetic of the film, but to sound like no other recognizable language. It has been growing in popularity among Avatar fans since the release of the movie, with the emergence of Na’vi Skype chat rooms and YouTube videos. The site Learnnavi.org provides an extensive overview of the language for those who would want to fit in on Pandora.
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