Na’vis in Avatar spoke Maori-based language
By ANIThursday, January 21, 2010
WELLINGTON - Avatar director James Cameron has revealed that the language of the Na’vi, an alien community in the film, was derived from Maori language spoken in New Zealand.
The helmer worked with language expert Paul Frommer, of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, to develop the alien language.
They apparently blended Maori with languages from Europe and Africa.
“The way that the language was created, it started off innocently enough as I was writing the script,” Stuff.co.nz quoted Cameron as saying at a London press conference.
He added: “I came up with some place names and some character names and so on. You know, I was just sort of free associating, and I had been to New Zealand a few years ago and really liked the sound of the Maori language and some of the Polynesian form, so I put that in.”
Meanwhile, Maori faculty dean at the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, Hana O’Regan, has said there is no problem with Cameron using the language in his film.
She said: “That is quite impressive. I am not too possessive over the language being used for something like that, which is something that some people might get disturbed about.” (ANI)
