Unlike human cultures on Earth, the Na’vi seem to have developed only one basic language, Lì’fya leNa’vi, which is uniform on a planetary scale, despite wide distribution of population. All regions have their own distinct dialects, but they are unmistakably all variants of a common root. It is not currently understood how the Na’vi have developed on a planetary scale with only one root language. Xenolinguists and xenoanthropologists have hypothesized an exceptionally stable and rigorous oral culture, with the use of mnemonic ‘song cords’ (waytelem) and ceremonial singing to hand down oral culture across many generations. Perhaps related to the phenomenon of a planetary verbal language is the fact that, despite having no written language (although they do use certain symbols, such as clan identifiers), the Na’vi have an exceptionally clear and consistent oral history going back 18,000 years. Ultimately, it is possible that these phenomena could be explained by the Na’vi’s regular uploading and downloading of memories to the global neural network, Eywa.
Archaic forms of the language appear in songs, but this proto-language is clearly understandable, bearing the same relationship to modern Na’vi as Elizabethan English does to modern English. It is reported that some Na’vi songs have been handed down unchanged for 18,000 years, complete with complex genealogical information. There is close correlation between historical references in the oral traditions of Na’vi groups who are widely dispersed across the planet, and could not have had contact in thousands of years.
Storytelling is a part of the Na’vi weaving culture as well, and may have a role in recording history. Xenoanthropologists have difficulty separating Na’vi myth from history, since all Na’vi stories are considered fact by the Na’vi, although many clearly have outlandish mythic elements. Cave paintings also serve to tell stories of Na’vi history, such as the legend of Toruk Makto.