2 questions regarding Na'vi alphaber

[Kroen]

1. There is one thing stoppong me from learning Na'vi: The alphabet. I want to write Na'vi in forums but this thing drives me insane: a (example: father) and ä (example: cat). How are they ANY different? I want to learn Na'vi but how will I know which one to use when writing? They sound exactly the same to me! There are no Na'vi audio/video lessons and the only learning material is written.

2. Why doesn't Paul make a writing system? Using the roman alphabet is pretty boring, don't you think? If the Na'vi were to write, I'm sure they would use pictograms, like the chinese. How awesome would it be if Paul developed Na'vi pictograms for every word and then some guy made them into a font?

[_Omaticaya_]

Cool man you know I downloaded a Na'vi language book to learn ages ago, 'Na'vi in a nutshell', it's pretty awesome, i studied for a while, i really wanted to learn, but i realized you really gotta put effort in it, and you need a lot of time... Pity, I learnt the basics, like knowing why 'I see you' is 'Oel Ngati Kameie' anyway, yeah, it's impossible to write it in this alphabet for sure.. or very hard... unless you got all the simbols I guess... and if they wrote as you say, I don't know, maybe they'd use the normal alphabet too, why not? ^_^ I mean they learned english from Grace's school, I wonder how it was taught ^_^ good luck with your studies bro

[Wameyn]

You might try sending a PM to http://www.avatar-forums.com/member-7681-miss-tammie/ she has some links to helpful videos helping learn the language that she sent me awhile back.

[Kroen]

So no one knows the difference between the two a's????

[Wameyn]

I dont guess I understand your question, the a in father doesnt sound anything like the way a is said in cat?

[Kroen]

what are you talking about? fa- ca- exactly the same :/ english is not a tonal language, and if na'vi is, it should have audio examples

[Wameyn]

the a in father and the a in cat aren't pronounced the same, I think this might be where you are running into the problem. the a in father would sound like the a in awesome. cat would sound like the a in mashed. thats why there is a and ä, they are pronounced differently.

[tm20]

words are pronounced differently in different countries though :P you said awesome has the AAAAA sound, in asutralia we pronounce the a like in O so it sound like owsome :P

[Wameyn]

Hahaha, nice point, just making this all the more confusing.

here's how webster shows how to pronounce both cat and father, if this doesnt help I guess I cant be much help, I am def not an english major, however here in the USA father and cat just dont use the same sounding a.

\ˈfä-thər\

\ˈkat\

[Kroen]

But... even if that's true, you use the same letter for cat and father... a... so why can't you use the same letter in na'vi?