Here’s the conclusion to my interview of my friend Paul Frommer, the creator of the movie’s fictional language, Na’vi, and a linguist and professor of Clinical Management Communication at USC’s Marshall School of Business.
I must say, although I am a skxawng (moron) about the language – that is the one word I came away from the movie remembering – I am glad I have a little more insight into Paul’s mind and the world of linguistics.
GC: Where does the word Na’vi come from? Did Cameron conceive it?
PF: Yes, it’s his word. I made sure, though, that the apostrophe meant something–that is wasn’t just there for decoration. It indicates a glottal stop–the sharp break you hear in, for example, “uh-oh.”
GC: Does the language have gender?
PF: Only rarely. There’s a general word for he or she, po. But if you need to specify he vs. she, then he is poan and she is poe. There are a few other such examples: itan, son; ite, daughter. As you see, the -an ending is masculine, the -e ending is feminine. But as I said, only a few words have that distinction.
GC: How does Na’vi relate to Klingon?
PF: Klingon is a rough-sounding language with a complex and difficult phonology and grammar that now has a devoted base of followers. To some ears, Klingon sounds like a cross between Russian and crawfish, but the Na’vi language is far more gentle on the ear. Cameron wanted something melodious and musical, something that would sound strange and alien but smooth and appealing.
GC: What was the process for transmitting the language to the actors?
PF: I met with all seven of the Na’vi-speaking actors off-set before their scenes were shot to help them with the pronunciation, and I also supplied recordings in the form of mp3 files so that they could listen to and absorb the dialog…
…it was quite a challenge. They had to learn their lines in a language no one had ever heard before, including learning to make unusual sounds and sound combinations, and then they had to act convincingly in that language! That involved not only memorizing the sentences but mastering the stress and intonation, so that they could place emphasis in the right place. It wasn’t easy, but they did a remarkable job.
When I couldn’t be there, however, the dialog coach, Carla Meyer, took over. She didn’t know the grammar of the language but did understand the pronunciation, which was the main thing.
GC: What things did you create in Na’vi: dialogue, song, video game, lexicon and ?
PF: Yes, all of those. I translated lyrics for four songs that JC had written in English–that was fun! Gave me a chance to try my hand at Na’vi poetry.
GC: How did ADR go?
PF: There was no ADR for the Na’vi.
GC: Is there a word for editor or editing that I could possibly use?
PF: No word for edit or editor, yet. 
http://www.dblondin.com/092507.html
Follow this link to an extensive, well written and in-depth article about fictional languages and sound design.
admin Joy goes to the movies, Sound and music editing
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Spent new year’s in a small town snowy Vermont where the blue moon on new year’s eve was invisible and it was impossible to upload posts…So here’s hoping your holiday season was swathed in caring and close times with loved ones, accompanied by great food, exercise, and sufficient time alone to contemplate, appreciate, and absorb the events and the year.
Sandip Mahal, London, UK, working on a playout for the executives.
Sandip writes, "The person in the monitor's story is being trapped and isolated from civilisation... i can relate..." 
Vickie Sampson, Supervising Sound Editor, Director, Writer, Shadow Hills, CA, with dog Pinky.
Ed Abroms, Burbank, CA, on loc in Lowell, MI.
