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

Hoozdohgóó daats’í deeshááł ’éí doodaii’ Be’eldííldahsínilgóó deeshááł.

Phoenix-toward maybe 1-walk.F or Albuquerque-toward 1-walk.F

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ ch’ééh niba’ hasht’e’ ’ádííníszin.

morning-Past in.vain 2-wait ready REFL-1-keep.CI
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I was all ready and waiting for you all this morning (but you didn’t come), (Lit. in vain I wait for you in readiness).

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ hashbį’go baa nídiisdzá ’ákondi t’áadoo ’áłtso da.

morning-past 1-clear.I-GO 3-for 1-start.P however but not-yet all NEG

’Ahbínígo ch’éshááh ’áádóó sodiszįįh.

morning-GO 1-go.out.U and.then 1-pray.U

’Azhą́ hasistih ndi ’ayóo ’eesh’į́.

even.though 1-be.old.P even.though very 3-1-see.Prog

’Azhą́ hasistih ndi t’ah honishyóí.

even.though 1-be.old-P even.though still 1-be.energetic.NI

’Ałk’ésdisí naháłnii’go sitsilí dóó shideezhí ’aheełt’éego bá ’ahá níjaa’.

candy 3-1-buy.CI-GO 1-little.brother and 1-little.sister 3-1 split-GO.I 3-for 3-1 gave.I

’áko shį́į́ ’índa

CONJ

’át’ah ’índa

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not even, doesn’t even

’Ííshją́ą́ ’at’ééd yázhí hooghandę́ę́’ ch’idoogááł.

certainly girl little house-from out-3-walk.F

’Ííłta’ dóó ’iiłghaazh.

1-read.P CONJ 1-sleep.P

-jį’

-ts’ą́ą́’, -ts’á

Bááh łikanígíí ła’ nisin háálá ayóo łikan.

bread 3-be.sweet.NI.NOM some 3-1-want.NI because very 3-be.sweet.NI

Chidí kǫ́ǫ́ ndaajeehígíí t’áá ’ániidígo dahodeezlįįd.

car here 3-run.pl.I-COMP just recently pl-3-become.P
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These cars that run around here just recently came into existence, cars are a recent invention.

Da’ Cubadę́ę́’ tsinaa’eeł nił ní’éél?

Q Cuba-from boat 2-with 3-float.P

Da’ k’ad daats’í ch’iyáán ’áníléehgo n ’adazh’niiyą́ą́’?

Q now perhaps food 2-make.I-GO 2-for feast.happen

Da’ shééhonísin?

Q 1-2-know.NI

daats’í

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maybe, perhaps, possibly

Damóo yę́ędą́ą́’ Yootóógóó niséyá.

Sunday past Santa.Fe-to 1-go.P

Damǫ́ǫgo tódilchxoshí yishdlį́į́h.

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

Dichin nínízin ya’?

hungry 2-want.NI Q

dideidííłjéé’

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

diidį́į́ł

3DO-1dpl-eat.it.F

diilyį́į́h

3DO-1dpl-melt.it.I

Díí łééchąą’í dah doosłóós laanaa.

this dog 1-lead.O.ADV-laanaa optative particle for a positive wish, hope or desire.

Doo yéé niiłtsán.

NEG fear .P. 2-1-see-NOM
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It’s a good thing I didn’t see you!

Ha’át’éego lá ’íiyisíí ’atiinjį’ ’ańdeeshdááł lá?

how Q main road-up.to 1-back-on-go.F DISC

Ha’át’éegosh náníldzid?

why-Q 2-fear.I

haa néelą́ą́’

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how much, how many, what quantity. [mass]

hadajishgizh

pl-3DO-4dpl-cut.it.out.P

hadaniilchaad

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

haiilgizh

3DO-1dpl-cut.it.out.P

Hatáálgóó déyáago shikélchí t’óó tsxį́į́łgo bił ’ada’shéshiizhgo ńdaséłkad.

ceremony-1-go-Fut-GO 1-moccasin merelyhurry.GO 3-with 3-1-pierce-GO 3-1-sew-P
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Since I was going to a ceremony, I hurriedly pierced holes in my moccasins and sewed them.

háadi

Háádę́ę’shą’ díí ch’ah nizhóní léi’ naa yílts’id?

where-from-Q DEM hat 3-beautiful.NI INDEF 2-to 3-move.air.SRO.P

háíníłgizh

3DO-2-cut.it.out.P

Náshdóí yę́ę noonéełgo wónáásdóó k’adę́ę ’ádįįh jiní.

wildcat former 3-die.off.Prog-GO soon nearly 3-extinct.I 4-say.NI
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Wildcats are dying off and it is said that soon they’ll become extinct.

Nibéézh bee hane’ doo ndi naalnish da.

2-cellphone NEG but 3-work.P NEG

Nimá yázhí bighangóó díílwoł dóó ’áájí ’awéé’ baa ’áhólyą́dooleeł.

2-auntie 3-house-toward 2-run.F and there-at baby 3-to 2-care.CI FUT

Nił hǫ́zhǫ́ǫ́sh doodaii’ doósh nił hózhǫ́ǫ da?

2-with-happy.NI-Q or neg-Q 2-with happy.NI neg

Shichá si’ą́ągo ’iiłhaazh.

1-huddle 3-put-SPN-GO 1-sleep.P

Shínaaí chidí b dah diilwodgo bizánághah góne’ łeezh ’adzíísi’.

older.brother car 3-with up 3-run.I-GO 3-around areal-in dust 3-trail.P
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When my older brother started off in the car he left a trail of dust around the corner.

Sitsóí bi’éé’ nizhónígo bá nishéch’ąą’.

1-grandchild 3-clothes 3-beautiful.NI-GO 3-for designed.P 1-it
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I designed my grandchild’s colorful clothes.

T’ááłáhádi kin binída’shiilzhiizh dóó hooghangóó dah ńdiikai.

once-at house 3-into-Pl-1dpl-dance.P home-toward start start-1dpl-go.pl.P

T’áadoo hooyání łį́į́’ shidáagi ch’éltáál.

suddenly horse 1-front-at 3-bolt.P
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All of a sudden the horse ran right in front of me.

Tł’óo’di kǫ’ diltłi’ bikáa’gi chéch’il ła’ dináádísh’nííł.

outside-at fire 3-burn.NI 3-on-at oak some fire-again-3-1-move.PlO.I

yah

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in, inside (a spacious chamber, as a room, burrow, cavern, building, mouth)

Yiską́ągo Na’nízhoozhídi, háádish ’adeeshį́į́ł ninízin?

tomorrow Gallup-at where-Q 2-eat.F 2-want.CI

yiyíí’aal

3DO-3-chew.it.P