Kaltxì nìmun ma frapo.

This post is about the Na'vi word pum. It's a word that I constantly see misused. I hope that this blog post will clear up what pum actually means and how to use it properly.

According to the dictionary, pum means one. One as in: this one, that one, the good one, the bad one, my one(mine), your one(yours).. I guess examples would be the best and easiest way of explaining. Here are nearly all the examples of pum we have from Karyu Pawl:

Examples:

1. Kelku ngeyä lu tsawl; pum oeyä lu hì’i.
   Your house is large; mine(my one) is small.
2. Just a relatively short post before the month ends... slä nìsìlpey pum a nga’ aylì’fyavit lesar.
   Just a relatively short post before the month ends... but hopefully one which contains useful expressions.
3. Hufwa mefo leru muntxatu txankrr, mi lu munsnar hona tìflrr a na pum meyawnetuä amip nìwotx.
   Although they've been mates for a long time, the couple still has cute gentleness like one of two totally new lovers.
4. Tsatuté lu lora pum alor.
   That woman is an extremely beautiful one.
5. Pol zolet oeyä säfpìlit pxel pum a tìngäzìkit ngop.
   He treated my idea as one—i.e., an idea—that creates a problem.
6. Ta’leng prrnenä lu faoi, pum koaktuä ekxtxu.
   A baby’s skin is smooth, an old person’s is rough.
7. Tìhawl lesngä’i lu tìkangkemvi skxawngä, slä pum alu fì’u yo’ nì’aw.
   The original plan was the work of an idiot, but this one is just perfect.
8. Fìfkxen alu FÌ’u lu ftxìlor; tsafkxen (or: pum) alu TSA’u ngati tspang.
   THIS vegetable is delicious; THAT one will kill you.’
9. Krro krro, flìa vul arusey to nutxa pum akerusey lu txur.
   A thin living branch is sometimes stronger than a thick dead one.
10. Ftue lu fwa taron ngonga ioangit to fwa taron pumit a lu walak sì win.
    It’s easier to hunt lethargic animals than to hunt perky, speedy ones.
11. Pum ngeyä.
    Yours. (That is, you’ve thanked me, but I really should be thanking you. The thanks are/should be yours)

Here are some things I've noticed after looking at all these official examples:

1. pum isn't used/translated as it, but nearly always one
2. pum seems to always occur later on in the sentence
3. pum is always involved in descriptions. It always has an adjective or phrase or something describing it.
4. pum is never changed for number. So there is no *ayfum, *mefum, etc.

As for explaining the word pum, I hope this post has been a useful pum. Hayalovay.