Na'vi Sign Language is a form of non-verbal communication used by the Metkayina clan. It was created by CJ Jones.
Description[]
Spending a lot of time underwater is an important part of the lifestyle of the reef clan. Reef Na'vi are able to hold their breath for a long time, so they rarely come to the surface and have the opportunity to speak. Sign language allows them to communicate while submerged.
This form of communication allows the Na'vi to communicate not only with each other, but also with animals such as the tulkun, which the Metkayina revere and have strong intercultural bonds with.
In Avatar: The Way of Water, the Sully children learned to use the sign language from Tsireya, daughter of the clan leaders Tonowari and Ronal. When Lo'ak befriended Payakan, he used sign language to talk the tulkun and express his feelings.
Development[]
The inspiration to let the Metkayina use sign language originates from an event hosted by NASA at an underwater habitat where Cameron stayed overnight. Participants were given tasks to see what it would be like to live underwater. Cameron observed a group of deaf teenagers who just started learning to dive and were part of a tour. They dropped to the bottom of the water and started talking about their experience and feelings in sign language, something Cameron could not do on his own dives. This impressed Cameron so that he decided to incorporate that into the movie.[1]
CJ Jones, a deaf actor, was tasked with developing a sign language for the Na'vi. He created over 350 signs for Avatar 2 and 3 within two years between 2019 and 2021.[2]
References[]
| Na'vi Culture | |
|---|---|
| Clans | |
| Armor | 'Awvea Tsamsiyu • Battle Band • Eyktan • Helmet • Karyu • Leggings • Nawm • Nawma Ni'awve • Nawma Taronyu • Nawma Tsamsiyu • Taronyu • Tirea • Tsteu |
| Clothing | |
| Culinary | Basket • Butchering Tool • Cooking Pot • Fire Pit • Fire Pit Tools • Fish Yoke • Food Wrap • Ground Rack • Leaf Plate • Na'vi Diet • Water Carrier |
| Music | |
| Other | Eywa • Mountain Banshee • Hometree • Octal Arithmetic • Toruk Makto • Tree of Souls • Clan Leader • Heartlands Ikran • Three Laws of Eywa • Songcord • Tsahìk • Tsaheylu • Iknimaya • The Circle • Mating • Na'vi Language • Loom • Hammock • Na'vi Dance Costume • Great Hunt |