Phi manualPart VIMastery

Section 2 of 4

Chapter 24 Source material

Names across languages

ne introduces one Phi name token. The token may be a listed content word borne as a name or a productive lowercase onym of two, three, or four legal Phi syllables. Productive onyms duplicate no syllable that has an onset and gain no dictionary meaning merely by being chosen.

mia nomei ne samira nai.
1SG name NAME samira be.
(My name is samira.)

A source name with multiple tokens, five or more syllables, a non-Phi shape, or dependence on another script remains outside the Phi passage. A speaker may use a shorter Phi-form adaptation only when the bearer or relevant naming community accepts it. Transliteration, convenience, or resemblance does not create that permission.

Source name outside Phi: Toronto

Accepted Phi onym, if the bearer or naming community chooses one: ne torino

The two forms serve different media. The source name preserves identity and spelling where those matter; the Phi onym allows grammatical reference inside a Phi sentence. Neither is automatically a translation of the other.