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

’adah

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downward from a height

’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

’Anishkeed, t’áá ká nóólk’oł lágo.

2-3-photograph.I neg 2-blink.O LÁGO

’Anishkeed, t’áá ká nóólk’oł.

2-3-photograph.I neg 2-blink.O

’Awééh kweʼé ninishteeh, adaʼoogeeh.

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

’Ayóo łį́į́’ sh naalgeed diní, ’ííshją́ą́shį́į́ díí łį́į́chogii bikáá’ dah ńdaah!

very horse 1-with 3-buck.CI 3-2-say.NI lets.see this stallion 3-on up 2-sit.I
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You said you’re good at riding broncos; let’s see you get on this stallion!

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

certainly perhaps this stew stove 3-on up 3-1-put.OC.P

Asdzą́ą́ yázhí bichidí doondó’ naalnish da.

woman little 3-car not.even but 3-work.P NEG

Bikáá’ dah ’asdáhí bikáa’gi doodaai’ ni’góó daats’í nishdaah?

chair 3-top-at or floor-on perhaps 1-sit.NI

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

formerly English neg 1-understand.I neg. Now TOP good.thing barely 3.with 1.speak-I

Daango k’ééda’dilyééh nt’éé’ t’áádoo k’ééda’diilyáa da.

spring-GO 3-plant.R past NEG 3-3-plant.P NEG

Dibé yázhi bimá doo boosáni da, biʼnootsaał.

sheep little 3-mother NEG 3-love.I NEG 3-starve.O

Diné nihaikaíígíí nihizaad nideilkaahgo ayóó bił danilį́ ’áko ndi doo ’akót’ée da.

people 1dpl-3-come.pl.P-COMP 1dpl-language pl-3-1-investigate.I-GO very 3-with pl-3-be.NI even so NEG thus-3-be.NI NEG
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The people who came to visit us believe that we are doing a great job investigating our language, but that is not the case.

Díí tł’éé’ t’áá ká dóola dá’ák’eólyeed lágo.

this night NEG bull into.field-3-run.O hope.not LÁGO

Díí tł’éé’ t’áá ká dóola dá’ák’eólyeed.

this night NEG bull into.field-3-run.O

Díí tł’éé’ t’áá ká dóola dá’ák’eólyeed; dádi’nítįįh.

this night NEG bull into.field-3-run.O hope.not 3-2-close.gate.I
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Don’t let the bull get into the field tonight, so close the gate.

Díí yiską́ągo ’íídííłtah.

this tomorrow 3-2-read.F

Doo ’áłah deiidleeh da.

NEG together pl-1dpl-meet.pl.I NEG

Doo ’áłah diidleeł da.

NEG together pl-1dpl-meet.pl.F NEG

Doo chosh shijooł’į́į́’ léi’gi’ ’át’éégóó sh hóyéé’.

NEG 3-1-make.use.O proof.against-NEG 1-with lazy.NI

Doo łá’í ndi naash’áa da.

NEG one but 3-1-hold.SRO.CI NEG
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I haven’t a single one, I have not even one.

dooshą’ --- lá

Dooshą’ kót’éego áníléeh da lá.

ensure like.this 2-do.I DISC

hahí

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fast, quick

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

winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.I past neg 1-with 3-good.N neg

hanii

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denotes contrariness to fact

Hazhóʼí síní. Tʼáadoo naaní’dííldisí.

careful 2-sit.I NEG again-2-wander.Prog-í

Hoozdohdi ’éí doo ’ashohodoobéézhgóó deesdoi.

Phoenix-at TOP extremely 3-hot.SPN

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.

Kʼadí! Tʼáadoo tʼóó ’ííyį́į̨́łí.

stop NEG just 2-eat.Prog-í

laanaa

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optative particle expressing a positive wish, hope or desire

naa

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across, crosswise on

Nanise’ígíí ch’iiyáán daohsą́ ’áko bee nihits’íís bitah ya’ádahoot’ééh dooleeł.

plant-ÍGÍÍ food pl-2-eat.I so 3-with 2pl-body 3-among pl-3-good.NI future

Nisneez sélį́į’go shicheii nahałáhági ’át’éego nahashłáa doo nisin.

1-tall.NI 1-become.P-GO 1-grandfather 3-perform.ceremony.CI-similar.to 1-perform.ceremony.CI future 3-want.NI
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When I get big I want to conduct ceremonies just like my grandfather.

Nizhéʼé nilą́ąjįʼ yigáałgo bikééʼ yilwoł.

2-father 2-in.front-to 3-walk.Prog-GO 3-behind 2-run.Prog

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

1-car still 3-good.N later one again-3-1-buy.F

Shínaaí 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 NEG

Shį́į́dą́ą́’ sitsą́ hodíínii’go k’asdą́ą́’ dasétsą́.

summer-last 1-stomach areal-.hurt.P-GO nearly 1-die.P
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Last summer I nearly died with a pain in my abdomen.

Sohodizingo t’áá ká nídoó’nééh.

prayer-GO neg 2-get.up.O

T’ah doo sha’áłchíní haleehę́ędą́ą́’ doozhǫǫgo shibéeso (sibéeso) hólǫ́ǫ́ ńt’éé’.

still NEG 1-children 3-be.born.I-past satisfactory 1-money 3-exist.NI past
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Before I acquired a family I had plenty of money.

t’áá

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just

T’áá hooshch’į’ déshnish.

suddenly 1-start.work.P

Tooh ńłínígíí ha’naa shił ’adeeshdloozh ńt’éé’ łį́į́’ shił deezgo’

water river areal-across 1-with 3-move.P past horse 1-with 3-fall.P
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I started to ride across the river when the horse fell with me.

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.

Tsinaabąąs bikáá’dę́ę́’ t’áá ’ałkéé’ ’adahaago’ ndeii’néego.

wagon 3-top-from just one-after-another down-1Pl-fall.P 3Pl-play.CI-GO.CI

Tsxį́įłgo łees’áán ’ádíílííł nimásání nihaa yighááh!

quickly tortilla 3-2-make.F 2.poss-mat.grandma-NOM 1.pl-to 3-come.F

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.

ʼAwéé chʼídeeldloʼ. ʼA’áshįįh daatsʼí nihee dahólǫ́.

baby 3-laugh.P Navajo.salt perhaps 2dpl-with pl-HO-exist.NI

–gi ’át’éego

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