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
’Ahwééh náshdlį́į́h áádóó naanishgóó yishááh.
coffee again-1-drink.R then work-toward 1-go.I’Ahwééh yishdlį́į́h ’áádóó naanishgóó yishááh.
coffee 3-1-drink.U and.then work-toward 3-1-go.UI drink coffee and then I go to work.
bookmark- Usitative (U)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishdlą́ drink itfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’áádóó and thenfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- Usitative (U)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishááh gofind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
’áko ’índa
CONJ’áyąą, ’áyaańda
’Áádę́ę́’ nánísdzáago łį́į́’ bá ni’deeshjoł.
from.there 1-return.p-GO horse 3-for pl-1-feed.F-yah
Asdzą́ą́ yázhí bichidí doondó’ ndi naalnish da.
woman little 3-car not.even but 3-work.P NEGbik’ídisoodiz
3DO-2dpl-wrap.it.around.it.PChidí sits’ą́ą́’ hashtł’ish yiih yilwodgo t’áá ch’į́į́góó ch’ééh ’ííł’įįd.
car 1-away mud 3-into 3-go.P-GO just fail in.vain 3-1-act.PDa’ naadą́’ísh nee hólǫ́?
Q corn-Q 2-with 3-exist.NIDa’ Ron saad nináánéíłkaah ya’?
Q Ron word 3-3-investigate.I QDamóo yę́ędą́ą́’ dziłghą́ą́’dę́ę́’ shádí dóó ba’áłchíní bił ’adaashkai.
sunday past-time mountain top.of-from 1-elder.sister and 3-children 3-with downward-1-go.Pl.Pdayoodlą́ą́’
pl-3DO-3dpl-drink.it.Pdego
diilyį́į́h
3DO-1dpl-melt.it.IDíí tł’éé’ t’áá ká dóola dá’ák’eólyeed lágo, dádiʼnítįįh.
this night NEG bull into.field-3-run.O hope.not 3-2-close.gate.IDon’t let the bull get into the field tonight, so close the gate.
bookmark- Command, negativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Optative with t’áá ká and lágofind in Navajo Imperatives
- t’áá ká don’t
- lágo negative particle used with the optative mode
- Optative (O)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- Command, affirmativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Imperfectivefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
Dííshą’ látsíní háádę́ę́’ naa ninídee’?
this-Q bracelet where-from 2-to 3-arrive.PlO.PWhere did you get these bracelets?
bookmark- -shą’ enclitic for content questionsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- háá-P.ENCLITIC wherefind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- -dę́ę́’ from a general location or point in space or time, also out of, off offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -aa tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
Dlǫ́ǫ́’ ’akǫ́ǫ́ náájilwod.
Prairie Dog LOC-there It. 4-2-run.Idoohsį́į́ł
3DO-2dpl-eat.it.FDíkwíí lá ninááhai?
how.many Q 2-winterGohwééh nayiisnii’ídiísh bił bééhózin?
coffee 3-3-buy.P-at-Q 3-with 3-know.NIDo they know where he bought the coffee?
bookmark- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nahashniih buy, sellfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ísh enclitic for yes/no questionsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- bééhózin there is knowledgefind in Navajo Verb Modes
Gólízhii dégo dasidoo’į́įgo da’oołzhish ni.
Skunk up-GO pl-3-look.I-GO pl-3-dpl-dance.IHa’át’íí baa ’áłah ’aleeh jiní?
what 3-for meeting 4-say.NIhadadoołtééł
pl-3DO-2dpl-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.Fcarry him/her up out of something, 2nd person plural
bookmarkhanołchaad
3DO-2dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).IHooghan ’adeeshłííł ndi tsineheeshjíí’ shee ’ádin.
hogan 1-build.F but lumber 1-with 3-none.NIJáan biʼdizhchínéejįʼ ʼanááhoolzhiizh. Tįʼ bá daʼdiidįį́ł.
John 2-birth-up-to again-area-arrive.P let's.go 3-for pl-2-eat.FMary bimá sání yá ’ata’ halne’.
Mary 3-grandmother 3-for indef.between 3-talk.DIMósí ch’óółt’e’ lágo.
cat out-3-2-carry.O LÁGOnaashłé
3DO-1-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Icarry a ropelike thing around, 1st person singular
bookmarkNichxǫ' doo ájíléeh da.
stop NEG 3-4-make.I NEGNichxǫ' t'áadoo baa nánít’íní.
stop NEG 3-about 2-bother.I-ÍNidlóóhísh doodaii’ dooísh nidlóoh da?
2-cold.X-Q or NEG-Q 2-cold.X-Q NEGNíléí dá’ák’ehdi ła’ joogááł.
there cornfield-at some 4-walk.ProgShimá nitsii’ yiilch’ííł áádóó bíni’ t’áá’ ákót’ée doo.
1-mom 2-hair 3-2-curl.I and.then let.be just it.is will.be.FShiye’, t’áadoo nikídíltałí.
1-son NEG 2-stomp.IR-ÍShínaaí shikétł’á ’iiyilgo łį́į́’ bikáá’ hasis’na’.
1-older.brother 1-foot-bottom 3-3-boost.P-GO horse 3-top up-1-crawl.PShínaaí shíká ’adoolwoł nisin ńt’éé’ ’áłt’ąą t’áadoo níyáa da.
1-older.brother 1-for 3-run.F 1-want.NI but after.all NEG 3-come.sg.P NEGI wanted my older brother to help me but unfortunately he didn’t come.
bookmark- -ká after, forfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- benefactive
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishwoł run alongfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ relates to past time
- ’áłt’ąą after all
- t’áadoo not
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrases
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nishááh come, arrivefind in Navajo Verb Modes