Word Creation

Na'vi wordbuilding is defined by eight distinct rules, allowing for the creation of eight different types of syllables. The rules for syllable creation are as follows:

1. A syllable may start with a vowel
2. A syllable may end with a vowel
3. A syllable may start with a consonant
4. A consonant cluster of f, s, or ts (preconsonants) + p, t, k, px, tx, kx, m, n, ng, r, l, w or y (onset consonants) may start a syllable
5. Px, tx, kx, p, t, k, ', m, n, l, r or ng may end a syllable (coda consonants)
6. Ts, f, s, h, v, z, w or y may not end a syllable
7. No consonant clusters may end a syllable
8. A syllable with a pseudovowel must start with a consonant or consonant cluster and must not have a consonant at the end of the syllable

This leaves the possible syllables as follows:

1. Just one vowel
2. Consonant and vowel
3. Consonant cluster and vowel
4. Vowel and coda consonant
5. Consonant, vowel and coda consonant
6. Consonant cluster, vowel and coda consonant
7. Consonant and pseudovowel
8. Consonant cluster and pseudovowel

Now that you know all this, you're well on your way to being able to submit your own Na'vi words for consideration! If you would like to learn more about building words, check out our references section to find out more about how words are derived.

If you would like to see Na'vi wordbuilding in process, our Discord server has a bot that can create Na'vi names on demand!

If you have a word you would like to submit for consideration, please contact us anonymously with the word, its part of speech, a definition and an example of its usage in a sentence. Please make sure that your proposed word doesn't already exist by using Dict-Na'vi or another dictionary reference.