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

’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).

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó dichin shi’niiłhį́.

morning-past neg 1-eat.P-GO.NEG 3-because soon hunger 1-3-kill.I

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó sitsiits’iin diniih.

morning-past neg 1-eat.P-GO.NEG because soon 1-head 3-ache.CI

’Awééh kweʼé ninishteeh, adaʼoogeeh.

baby here 3-carry.AnO.I 3-fall.O

’ayóigo

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very, extremely

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ dahane’ yę́ę bíneeshdlį́įgo yíłta’.

long.ago pl-story past 3-1-admire.I-GO 3-1-read.P

’áyąą

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no wonder, little wonder that

’áłt’ąą

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after all, in spite of that, “darn if”, unfortunately

’Ííshją́ą́ díí ’atoo’ béésh bii’ kǫ’í bikáá’ dah séką́.

don’t forget this stew stove 3-top up 1-put.P.OC
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Don’t forget that I put the stew on the stove.

ch’ínígóó

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everything possible without result, failure in spite of every effort, to no avail

Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Bilagáanaa Bizaad doo diists’a’ da. K’ad éí t’ááshxǫǫd t’áá bee yáshti’.

formerly English NEG 1-understand.I NEG | now TOP at.least just 3-with 1-speak.I

Chidí ’anáshdlééh, háálá doo naalnish da.

car 3-1-repair.I because NEG 3-work.I NEG

daats’í

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maybe, perhaps, possibly

de, deg

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up

Díigi ’át’éego yigááł.

this-similar.to 3-walk.Prog
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This is the way he walks.

Díí 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.I

Díí yiską́ągo ’íídííłtah.

this tomorrow 3-2-read.F

Dlǫ́ǫ́’ ba’áán góne’ yahadeeshnii’go dlǫ́’áyázhí shishhash.

prairie.dog 3-hole into down1-3.to.reach.out.hand prairie.dog-little 1-bite.P

doo --- le’ ’át’éégóó

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used with the optative mode to produce a meaning roughly equivalent to “proof against”

Doo dibé ch’íi’niił da.

NEG sheep pl-3-2-du-take.out.I NEG
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We (us two) are not taking out the sheep.

Doo hanii kintahgóó díníyáa da nisin.

NEG contrary town-toward 2-start.go.P NEG 1-think.CI

doo t’áá k’ad --- da

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(I) don’t want to, don’t feel like

dooshą’ --- lá

Dzi’izí bikee’ náásxis nít’éé’ bił daalkaałí baa’íí’á.

bicycle 3-tire 3-3-turn.Prog past nail 3-into-3-extend.NP

Haidą́ą́’ ’a’áán góne’ naashnish ńt’éé’ --- doo sh yá’áhoot’éeh da.

winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.I past NEG 1-with area-good.N NEG

Hazhó’ó nidahísóotą́.

still pl-2dpl-sit.pl.P

Hoozdo hoolyéedi deesdoi sha’shin. ’Áyaańda (’áyąą) diné bi’éétsoh t’áá gééd ndaakai.

Phoenix areal-called-at hot possibly no.wonder person 3-coat without pl-3-go.pl.P
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I guess it’s warm in Phoenix. No wonder people go around without coats.

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

now wash area-down water up 3-move.Prog
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The water level is rising now down the wash.

K’ad hooghangóó nááshdááł dooleeł.

now hogan-toward 1-go.Prog FUT

K’ad shicheii bíká ’iishyeed.

now 1-grandfather 3-for 1-run.I

k’asídą́ą́’

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very nearly, within an ace of, coming close to

naa

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across, crosswise on

Náhookǫsdę́ę́’ níłch’igo ’ayóo deesk’aaz.

north.from breeze-GO very cold.SPN

Náneeskaadi t’áádoo naa’ółí bił yíyą́ą’da. ’Alóós t’éiyá yíyą́ą́’.

Tortilla-N (t’áá)doo-NEG Bean-N bił-3-with yíyą́ą’da-3o-1s-eat.P NEG Rice-N t’éiyá-only yíyą́ą’-3o-1s-eat.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.

Níwe, doo tsésǫ’ góne’ ch’ééjí’nah da!

stop NEG window 3-into 4-crawl.R NEG
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Stop, one does not crawl through the window.

Shá bíighah na’ashkǫ́ǫ́’go yiishjį́į́’ lá.

sun proportionate 1-swim.CI-GO 1-sun.burn.I DISC

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.

Shidibé ’ąą’ dinót’į́į́ł laanaa ch’ééh nisin.

1-sheep expanse 3-increase.O wish in.vain 1-want.CI

Shilééchąą’í b na’nishkaadgo jooł b ’abíńjíshhałgo yikéé’ náádiilwo’.

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

Shilééchąą yázhí shikéé’ yildlosh ńt’éé’ hashtł’ish yiih yildloozh.

1-dog little 1-behind 3-walk.Prog past mud 3-into 3-walk.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

Shoo, nahachagii t’óó ’ahayóí nihaanáá lá; ’áko shį́į́ baa ’ákodanosin dooleeł.

hey.look grasshopper merely many 1pl-to 3-migrate.P mirative then maybe 3-of 2pl-be.aware.NI FUT

Shí Kinłánígóó shiłayóó ’ánízáád ’áko ndi sitsóí ’éí bił ’áyídí.

I Denver to 1-with 3-far.NI but 1-grandsongranddaughter 3-with nearby

T’áá ká ’adinoólgháásh lágo.

neg 2-oversleep.O LÁGO

T’áá ká ’adinoólgháásh.

neg 2-oversleep.O

T’áá ká ’ooshháásh lágo.

neg 1-go.to.sleep.O LÁGO

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

three maybe 1-year.P-GO Fort.Sumner-at areal-be.called-toward 1-with start.off 3-migrate.P 3-say.NI-GO 4-tell. usually 1-grandfather

Tsé ’ayóí ’áníłtso léi’ tsékooh góyaa hadah ch’ééłmááz.

rock remarkably large INDEF canyon areal-down areal-edge out-3-1-roll.P
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I rolled a big rock over the edge and into the canyon.

Yiską́ągo daats’í tł’óo’di hózhóní doo doodaii’ naháłtin daats’í dooleeł.

tomorrow maybe outside areal-good.NI or areal-rain.CI maybe future