5.1

## Overview

Na’vi has a number of affixes used to create new vocabulary. Several simply change the word class, such turning a noun into adjective. However, these affixes should not be considered freely productive, and the meanings of the derived forms are not entirely predictable. Only with the help of a dictionary can you be certain of a derived word’s meaning (but see 6.6.8 for adverbs). Unless otherwise stated, the affixes below are not freely productive.

While there are strong patterns in how stress accent is altered by some derivational processes, there are no exception-less rules for this. Again, only with the dictionary can you be certain of the accenting of a derived word.

## 5.1.1 - Prefixes

These derivational prefixes rarely cause the accent to move from its original location, **ngay** > **tìngay**.

**5.1.1.1** **Le-** creates adjectives from nouns, as in **lehrrap** *dangerous* from **hrrap** *danger*.

**5.1.1.2** **Nì-** creates adverbs from nouns, pronouns, adjectives and verbs, as in **nìNa’vi** *Na’vily, in Na’vi* from **Na’vi**, **nìayfo** *like them*, **nìftue** *easily* from **ftue** *easy*, and **nìtam** *enough* from **tam** *to suffice*.

**5.1.1.3** **Sä-** creates instrumental nouns from verbs and adjectives, as in **sänume** *instruction*, teaching from **nume**, and **säspxin** *disease* from **spxin** sick.

**5.1.1.4** **Sä-** also creates nouns to indicate a particular, concrete instance of a general action. A **sätsyìl** *a climb* is a particular instance of the action of climbing, *tsyìl*. Roots may have derivations in both **tì-** and **sä-**, as in **’ipu** *humorous*. **Tì’ipu** is the abstract concept of being humorous, that is, humor in general. **Sä’ipu** is a particular instance of being humorous — for example, a joke.

**5.1.1.5** **Tì-** creates nouns from adjectives, verbs and occasionally other nouns, as in **tìngay** *truth* from **ngay** *true*, **tìftia** *study (n.)* from **ftia** *to study*, **tì’awm** *camping* from **’awm** *camp (n.)*.

**5.1.1.6** With these prefixes stem syllables may lose a vowel if the onset consonant is also a legal coda, **nìmweypey** *patiently* < **mawey·pey** *to be patient*.

## 5.1.2 - Negative Prefix

Some words, mostly but not exclusively adjectives, are created using the word **ke** *not* as a prefix.

**5.1.2.1** When **ke-** comes before the adjective prefix **le-** the adjective prefix is reduced to just **-l-**, as in **keltsun** *impossible* compared to **letsunslu** *possible*, and **kelfpomtokx** *unhealthy* from **lefpomtokx** *healthy*.

**5.1.2.2** When **le-** comes before **ke-** the negative prefix reduces to just **-k-**, as in **lekye’ung** *insane* from **keye’ung** *insanity*.

**5.1.2.3** The **ke-** prefix may be used with root adjectives and participles, in which case the accent usually shifts to **ke-**, as in **keteng** *different* from **teng** *same, equal* and **kerusey** *dead* from **rusey** *living*. However, note **keyawr** *incorrect* from **eyawr** *correct*.

**5.1.2.4** The **ke-** prefix may also create and combine with nouns, as in **keye’ung** *insanity*, and **ketuwong** *alien*. There are too few examples to determine accent behavior.

## 5.1.3 - Adverbial "a-"

Two stative verbs, **lìm** *be far* and **sim** *be near* have adverbial forms **alìm** *far away* and **asim** *nearby, at close range*. These are thought of as fossilized abbreviations of forms like **nìfya’o a lìm** (6.6.8). They are fixed lexical items, and do not have forms such as **\*lìma** and **\*sima**.

## 5.1.4 - Prefix with Infix

There is a single derivation using the combination of a prefix and an infix.

**5.1.4.1** **Tì- ‹us›** creates a gerund. It is fully productive for verb roots and compounds (**si**-construction verbs, 5.3.3, cannot be made into a gerund). This is most useful when a simple **tì-** derivation already has an established meaning, as in **rey** *live*, **tìrey** *life*, but **tìrusey** *living*. In compounds, **tì-** comes at the beginning of the word and **‹us›** goes into the verbal element of the compound, **yomtìng** becomes **tìyomtusìng**. See also 6.9.2.

## 5.1.5 - Agent Suffixes

These suffixes also do not cause an accent shift.

**5.1.5.1** **-tu** creates agent nouns from parts of speech other than verbs, as in **pamtseotu** *musician* from **pamtseo** *music*, **tsulfätu** *master of a craft or skill, expert* from **tsulfä** *mastery*.

**5.1.5.2** **-yu** creates agent nouns from verbs, to indicate a person who regularly performs some activity or role, as in **taronyu** *hunter* from **taron** *hunt*. This suffix is freely productive, with regular verbs as well as **si**-verbs, such as **stiwisiyu** *mischief-maker*, from **stiwi si** *do mischief*.

## 5.1.6 - Diminutive Suffix

The unstressed suffix **-tsyìp** may be used freely to form diminutives, on both nouns and pronouns. Personal names may lose syllables when taking this suffix, such as **Kamtsyìp** or **Kamuntsyìp** for *little Kamun*. The diminutive has three uses.

**5.1.6.1** First, the diminutive form may be a primary lexical derivation. Such words will end up in the dictionary, such as **puktsyìp** *booklet, pamphlet* from **puk** *book*. The diminutive force is weak enough that one may use the adjective **tsawl** *large* with a diminutive without contradiction, as in **tsawla utraltsyìp** *a large bush*.

**5.1.6.2** Second, the diminutive may express affection or endearment, **za’u fìtseng, ma ’itetsyìp** *come here, little daughter*. This use should not be taken to imply an age. The daughter in the previous sentence could be an adult.

**5.1.6.3** Third, the diminutive may express disparagement or insult, **fìtaronyutsyìp ke tsun ke’ut stivä’nì** *this (worthless) little hunter can’t catch anything*. The disparaging tone may be directed at oneself, **nga nìawnomum to oetsyìp lu txur nìtxan** *as everyone knows, you’re a lot stronger than little old me*. Only context will distinguish the disparaging from affectionate use of the diminutive.

## 5.1.7 - -Nay Suffix

This creates a new noun which indicates something lower on some hierarchy, size, rank, accomplishment, etc. The suffix receives the accent, **karyunay** *apprentice teacher* from **karyu** *teacher*. If the noun already ends in **-n** the suffix loses the **-n-**, **’eylanay** *acquaintance* from **’eylan** *friend*, **ikranay** *forest banshee* from **ikran** *banshee*. It isn’t productive.

## 5.1.8 - Gender Suffixes

The gender suffixes are unusual in that they are used not only with nouns but also the third person pronoun (3.2.1.5).

**5.1.8.1** The suffix **-an** indicates males, as in **poan** *he* and **'itan** *son*.

**5.1.8.2** The suffix **-e** indicates females, as in **poe** *she* and **'ite** *daughter*.

**5.1.8.3** The effect of these suffixes on the stress is unpredictable, **tutan** male (person) from **tute** person, but **muntxatan** husband from **muntxatu** *spouse, mate*.