Who created the Na’vi language for James Cameron’s Avatar?

Paul Frommer created the Na’vi language for James Cameron’s Avatar. Frommer, a linguist and professor, developed the language so the Na’vi could speak a consistent, pronounceable fictional tongue rather than improvised fantasy sounds.

Cameron requested a language that would be appealing to audiences while sounding unlike familiar human languages. Frommer built Na’vi with its own vocabulary, grammar, phonology, and word order. He initially created a substantial core vocabulary for the film, then expanded the language for later productions and for people who study or use it as a constructed language.

The language includes features designed to make it distinctive on screen, including unusual consonant combinations and a three-way distinction in number. Actors learned its sounds and lines for performance, while subtitles supplied translations for viewers.

Frommer is sometimes confused with the film’s visual-effects and production designers. Those teams created Pandora’s appearance, but Frommer was specifically responsible for the Na’vi language.