Paul R. Frommer (/ˈfroʊmər/; born September 17, 1944) is an American communications professor at the University of Southern California (USC) and a linguistics consultant. He is the former Vice President, Special Projects Coordinator, Strategic Planner, and Writer-Researcher at Bentley Industries in Los Angeles, California. From 2005 to 2008, he served as Director of the Center for Management Communication at the USC Marshall School of Business.[1]
Frommer was born in New York City.[2] Interested in astronomy from an early age, he changed his college major from astrophysics to math, graduating from the University of Rochester with a bachelor of arts in mathematics in 1965. He soon taught English and math in Malaysia in the Malay language with the Peace Corps. He had studied languages earlier, but this experience switched his focus to linguistics. He began a doctoral program in linguistics at the University of Southern California (USC). During the program, he taught English in Iran for a year in the mid-1970s and studied Persian.[3] He earned his master's degree and doctorate in linguistics at USC in 1981 under Bernard Comrie; his doctorate was on aspects of Persian syntax and entitled "Post-verbal Phenomena in Colloquial Persian Syntax".[1]
Work
Frommer taught for several years and then moved into business, becoming a Vice President, Special Projects Coordinator, Strategic Planner, and Writer-Researcher at Bentley Industries in Los Angeles. Frommer was also a writer for the 1989 film Step Into the Third Dimension.[4] In 1996, he returned to USC as a full professor of clinical management communication at the Marshall School of Business. In 1999, he co-authored a linguistics workbook called Looking at Languages: A Workbook in Elementary Linguistics.[5] From 2005 to 2008, he served as Director of the Center for Management Communication at Marshall School of Business.[1]
After a search by James Cameron, writer and director of the 2009 film Avatar, Frommer was chosen to create a language for the Na'vi, the film's fictional alien race of sentient blue humanoid inhabitants of the moon Pandora.[6] Frommer says that his process for creating the language began with phonetics and phonology: "The sound system has to be all nailed down first, so that there is consistency in the language". The morphology, syntax and vocabulary followed. Cameron had already created several dozen words that he wanted to incorporate into the new language. That gave Frommer "a sense of what kinds of sounds he had in mind". Cameron also told Frommer that he "wanted the language to be pleasant sounding and appealing to the audience."[5] "When you create a language, you experience the joy of rolling sounds around in your mouth, hearing unusual sounds, playing with the sounds and structural properties of language – it's a process that took about six months for the basics".[3]
Frommer based some Na'vi grammar on Polynesian languages and used consonants such as ejectives and word-initial velar nasals that are rare in Western languages, while omitting common Western sounds like "b", "d" and "g". He placed verb modifiers in the middle of words, instead of at the beginning or end of them. Cameron wrote some songs for the Na'vi characters that Frommer translated into a poetic form of Na'vi language, and he then coached the singers on pronunciation.[7] He then worked personally with the actors who needed to speak the Na'vi language in the film and created MP3 files for them to use to study it. The actors' voices were not altered in the film, as Cameron wanted the Na'vi characters to have human-sounding voices.[3] Since the film opened, Frommer has received numerous e-mails from fans with suggestions for expanding the language[7] and websites have grown up devoted to the study and use of the language.[2]
^ abMilani, Matteo (November 24, 2009). "An interview with Paul Frommer, Alien Language Creator for Avatar". Unidentified Sound Object. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
^Jensen, Jeff (January 15, 2007). "Great Expectations". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
^ abGenlen, Larry (April 19, 2010). "How to say 'ass' in Na'vi". New York Post. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
^"Meeting with Avatar Na'vi language creator in L.A." 2M Language Services. April 6, 2010. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
External links
at USC
Frommer's blog about the Na'vi language
LearnNavi.org - Provides a Na'vi dictionary (multilingual), grammar guide, and more
January 31, 2023
paul, frommer, paul, frommer, born, september, 1944, american, communications, professor, university, southern, california, linguistics, consultant, former, vice, president, special, projects, coordinator, strategic, planner, writer, researcher, bentley, indus. Paul R Frommer ˈ f r oʊ m er born September 17 1944 is an American communications professor at the University of Southern California USC and a linguistics consultant He is the former Vice President Special Projects Coordinator Strategic Planner and Writer Researcher at Bentley Industries in Los Angeles California From 2005 to 2008 he served as Director of the Center for Management Communication at the USC Marshall School of Business 1 Paul R FrommerBorn 1944 09 17 September 17 1944 age 78 New York City New York United StatesEducationDoctorate in linguistics 1981 University of Southern CaliforniaOccupationCommunications professor at University of Southern CaliforniaKnown forConstructed languages Contents 1 Youth and education 2 Work 3 References 4 External linksYouth and education EditFrommer was born in New York City 2 Interested in astronomy from an early age he changed his college major from astrophysics to math graduating from the University of Rochester with a bachelor of arts in mathematics in 1965 He soon taught English and math in Malaysia in the Malay language with the Peace Corps He had studied languages earlier but this experience switched his focus to linguistics He began a doctoral program in linguistics at the University of Southern California USC During the program he taught English in Iran for a year in the mid 1970s and studied Persian 3 He earned his master s degree and doctorate in linguistics at USC in 1981 under Bernard Comrie his doctorate was on aspects of Persian syntax and entitled Post verbal Phenomena in Colloquial Persian Syntax 1 Work EditFrommer taught for several years and then moved into business becoming a Vice President Special Projects Coordinator Strategic Planner and Writer Researcher at Bentley Industries in Los Angeles Frommer was also a writer for the 1989 film Step Into the Third Dimension 4 In 1996 he returned to USC as a full professor of clinical management communication at the Marshall School of Business In 1999 he co authored a linguistics workbook called Looking at Languages A Workbook in Elementary Linguistics 5 From 2005 to 2008 he served as Director of the Center for Management Communication at Marshall School of Business 1 After a search by James Cameron writer and director of the 2009 film Avatar Frommer was chosen to create a language for the Na vi the film s fictional alien race of sentient blue humanoid inhabitants of the moon Pandora 6 Frommer says that his process for creating the language began with phonetics and phonology The sound system has to be all nailed down first so that there is consistency in the language The morphology syntax and vocabulary followed Cameron had already created several dozen words that he wanted to incorporate into the new language That gave Frommer a sense of what kinds of sounds he had in mind Cameron also told Frommer that he wanted the language to be pleasant sounding and appealing to the audience 5 When you create a language you experience the joy of rolling sounds around in your mouth hearing unusual sounds playing with the sounds and structural properties of language it s a process that took about six months for the basics 3 Frommer based some Na vi grammar on Polynesian languages and used consonants such as ejectives and word initial velar nasals that are rare in Western languages while omitting common Western sounds like b d and g He placed verb modifiers in the middle of words instead of at the beginning or end of them Cameron wrote some songs for the Na vi characters that Frommer translated into a poetic form of Na vi language and he then coached the singers on pronunciation 7 He then worked personally with the actors who needed to speak the Na vi language in the film and created MP3 files for them to use to study it The actors voices were not altered in the film as Cameron wanted the Na vi characters to have human sounding voices 3 Since the film opened Frommer has received numerous e mails from fans with suggestions for expanding the language 7 and websites have grown up devoted to the study and use of the language 2 Frommer also created the Barsoomian language for the Disney film John Carter 8 References Edit a b c Marshall Faculty Directory Paul Frommer USC edu Archived from the original on December 26 2009 Retrieved January 9 2010 a b McCally Karen March April 2010 Avatar of Language Rochester Review 72 4 a b c Andrews Susan January 20 2010 Paul Frommer Sounds Off on Avatar Language USC News Archived from the original on January 23 2010 Retrieved May 5 2010 Paul R Frommer at IMDb a b Milani Matteo November 24 2009 An interview with Paul Frommer Alien Language Creator for Avatar Unidentified Sound Object Retrieved May 5 2010 Jensen Jeff January 15 2007 Great Expectations Entertainment Weekly Retrieved January 9 2010 a b Genlen Larry April 19 2010 How to say ass in Na vi New York Post Retrieved April 12 2013 Meeting with Avatar Na vi language creator in L A 2M Language Services April 6 2010 Retrieved May 29 2010 External links EditPaul Frommer s profile at USC Frommer s blog about the Na vi language LearnNavi org Provides a Na vi dictionary multilingual grammar guide and more Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Paul Frommer amp oldid 1132591233, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
