Introduction to Navajo Adverbs

This lexicon is built on a list from Young & Morgan (1987:12-17). This list is a heterogeneous collection of expressions that certainly belong to more than one syntactic category. For instance, it includes time expressions like ’adą́ą́dą́ą́’ (‘yesterday’) and ’ałní’ní’ą́ (‘at noon’), but it also includes the negative frame doo…da and several expressions that are constructed with it, and it includes various particles that tend to appear before the verb (e.g., hah ’quickly’; dah ‘up’). These appear in various places within a clause. Oddly, ńt’éé (a particle denoting past time which is placed after the verb) is in the list, but dooleeł (a particle denoting future time which appears in the same position) is not in the list.

We constructed this tool using Young & Morgan’s list without making adjustments to it. There may be a future version that includes different selections.

An example search has returned 50 entries

’Aadę́ę́’ hoołtį́į́ł.

there-from 3s-rain.Prog

’Adeesdíilgo dibé sits’ą́ą́’ dah diijéé’.

3-thunder.P-GO sheep 1-away.from start-3-run.Pl.P
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When thunder rumbled the sheep stampeded on me, ran away from me.

’ayóigo

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very, extremely

-ę́ę+-dą́ą́’ (yę́ędą́ą́’)

-íighah

-k’ee

-shą’

bik’ídisoodiz

3DO-2dpl-wrap.it.around.it.P

Bįįh bináyaa niłchiin ’éí hataałii chodayooł’į́.

deer 3-eye beneath matter that medicineman 3-3 use.I
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The matter from under the eye fold of a deer (used for medicine ceremonially)

Ch’ah ’éí doodaii’ nák’ee sinilí łizhinígíí daats’í nee hólǫ́’?

hat or sunglasses perhaps 2-with 4-exist.NI

Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Diné Bizaad t’éiyá bee yádeilti’ nít’ę́ę́’.

formerly Navajo language only 3-with pl-3-speak.I past

dadizhdínóołkał

pl-3DO-4dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).F

Damǫ́ǫgo tódilchxoshí yishdlį́į́h.

Sunday-GO soda 3-1-drink.U
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On Sundays I drink soda.

daohsą́

pl-3DO-2dpl-eat.it.I

deiidlą́ą́’

pl-3DO-1dpl-drink.it.P

deiit’aal

pl-3DO-1dpl-chew.it.P

didazhdííłjéé’

pl-3DO-4dpl-start.fire.P

didoołhįh

3DO-2dpl-melt.it.F

diilyį́į́h

3DO-1dpl-melt.it.I

Diné bikéyah bikáa’gi łáhágóó ninádahałtį́įh łeh.

Navajo 3-land 3-on-at a.few.places areal-rain.I usually

Gohwééh t’áá bizhání ’éí doodaii’ ’abe’ bgo daats’í nínízin?

coffee only TOP or milk perhaps 3-with 3-2-want.NI

Ha’át’éegoshą’ t’áadoo ’azee’ál’į́į́góó nisíníyáa da?

why-Q NEG hospital-to 2-go.sg.P NEG

Ha’át’íí lá hastiin dóó ’at’ééd ’áyiilaa?

what Q man and girl 3-3-make.P
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What did the man and the girl make?

Haa’í lá neezgai?

where Q 3-hurt.N

hadeizgeed

pl-3DO-3dpl-dig.it.out.P

hadiiltééł

3DO-1dpl-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.F

hadínéeshchał

3DO-1-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

haniilchaad

3DO-1dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).P

háágóó

Háágóó lá Bíl doogááł nízin Jáan?

where-toward Q Bill 3-go.sg.F 3-want.CI John

Jáan, nanilnishísh?

John 2-work.I-Q

K’ad cháshk’eh góyaa tó de ’anool’ąął.

now wash down water up 3-rise.Prog
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The water’s rising now down in the wash.

léi’

Mary bimá sání yá ’ata’ halne’.

Mary 3-grandmother 3-for indef.between 3-talk.DI

naashłé

3DO-1-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.I

Nizhe’é haash wolyé?

2-father what-Q 3-call.NI

Sáanii ’éétsoh bi’oh ’ádaníłtso.

women coat 3-less.than indef-Pl-3.size.N

Shicheii t’áá ’íiyisíí hastihgo biniinaa kónááhoot’éhí doo na’ádódlíi da.

1-grandfather very 3-old.N-GO because next.year NEG 3-expect.live.NP NEG 
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Since my grandfather is very old he doesn’t expect to be alive next year at this time.

Shichidí t’ahdii yá’át’ééh, ’át’ah ’índa ła’ ninááhideeshnih.

1-car still 3-good.N later one again-3-1-buy.F
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My car is stíll good so I won’t buy another one until later.

Shidá’í tsékooh góyaa b ’adáá’áázh.

1-uncle canyon areal-down 3-with 1.go.dual.P

Shilééch’ąą’í hats’ąą ńdóosht’į́į́ł laanaa nízin yę́ę bik’íníyá.

1-dog areal-away.from 1-hide.O wishful 3-want past 3-1-find.P

Shilééchąą’í bił na’nishkaadgo jooł bá ’abíńjíshhałgo yikéé’ náádiilwo’.

1-dog 3-with 1-herd.CI ball for 3-for 3-1-bat.R after 3-run.R

Shizhé’é ńléí dá’ák’ehdi naayiishgo yish’į́.

1-father there cornfield-at 3-stoop.Prg-GO 3-1-see.Prg
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I can see my father moving about there in the field.

Shizhé’é ’azee’ál’į́į́ góne’ b yah ’i’ííbą́ą́z.

1-father hospital into 3-with in 3-push.wheel.P
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My father was wheeled into the hospital.

Táá’ daats’í shinááhaigo Hwéeldi hoolyéégóó sh dah ’adiiná níigo halne’ łeh shicheii.

three maybe 1-year.P-GO Fort.Sumner areal-be.called-toward 1-with start.off 3-migrate.P 3-say.NI-GO
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As my grandfather tells it, he was about three years old when he started off with the family on the move to Fort Sumner.

Tsé dzídzahashníiłgo baa naashá, daniidoiigo táchééh góne’ yah ’adoo’nił biniiye.

rock into.fire-3-1-put.P-GO 1-go.I 3-become.hot.P-GO sweathouse into in 3-PASS.put.PlO.F 3-because
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I’m busy putting stones into the fire, to be taken into the sweathouse when they get hot.

wohtł’ó

3DO-2dpl-weave.it.I

ya’

yiishjį́į́ł

1-become black, get sunburned.Prog

yishtł’ó

3DO-1-weave.it.I