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
’Ashkii bi’éé’ hazhó’ó ’ayíyiischid dóó ’ólta’ góne’ yah ’ííyá.
boy 3-shirt nicely 3-3-tuck.in.P and 3-go.P’Atsą́ą́’ ła’ jóyą́ą’ le’.
ribs some 4-eat.O desire’Ałk’idą́ą́’ tł’oh naadą́ą́’ dant’į́įhgo łį́į́’ doodaii’ béégashii da há hada’ał’éés ńt’éé’.
long.ago grass corn 3-ripen.I-GO horse or cow etc. 4-for 3-stomp.I past’Áádóó hainidzaa?
and.then what-3-2-do.P’áko shį́į́ ’índa
CONJ’Áshįįh Bii’ Tóodi níyáago dził bąąh hanáádeesh’nah.
Salt.Lake.City-at 1-go.P-GO mountain 3-on again-1-climb.R’Áłchíní hastą́ą́ binááhaidóó deigo hodees’áago t’áá ’ałtso da’ółta’go yá’át’ééh.
children six 3-year.P-from up areal-extend.NP all pl-3-study.NI-GO 3-good.N’Áłtsé nééł’į́į́’ ’áko ’índa ’ííyą́ą́’.
first 1-look.P after.that 1.eat.P-dą́ą́’
past time, also used in conditionals, marking the antecedent
bookmarkBíni’dii ’awéé’ ałhosh, yee nǫǫsééł.
3-let-stay baby 3-sleep.I 3-by.means.of 3-grow.IChidí kǫ́ǫ́ ndaajeehígíí t’áá ’ániidígo dahodeezlįįd.
car here 3-run.pl.I-COMP just recently pl-3-become.PDa’ chidíísh bee hólǫ́ doodaii’ ni daats’í chidí nee hólǫ́?
Q car-Q 3-with 4-exist.NI or 2 maybe car 2-with 4-exist.NIdadiidį́į́ł
pl-3DO-1dpl-eat.it.Fdadizhdínóołkał
pl-3DO-4dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).Fstart to herd them (animals), 4th person plural
bookmarkdadínółkaad
pl-3DO-2dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).Istart to herd them (animals), 2nd person plural
bookmarkdeitł’ó
pl-3DO-3dpl-weave.it.Ididazhdiłjeeh
pl-3DO-4dpl-start.fire.IDiné bikéyah bikáa’gi łáhágóó ninádahałtį́įh łeh.
Navajo 3-land 3-on-at a.few.places areal-rain.I usuallyHa’át’ííshą’ hastiin dóó ’at’ééd ’áyiilaa?
what-Q man and girl 3-3-make.PWhat did the man and the girl make?
bookmarkHa’át’íí́sh baa hane’?
What Q 3-for be.told.CIhaahláyéé
Haaʼísh niʼnis´bąąs?
where-Q 3-1-park.FHatáálgóó 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-PHáidígíísh ʼałkʼésdisí deeshį́į́ł?
which.one-ÍGÍÍ-Q candy 3-1-eat.Fjishóóh
3DO-4-brush/comb.it.IJį́į́dą́ą́’ t’óó k’asídą́ą́’ nihee nahóółtą́.
today just very.nearly 1dpl-with areal-rain.PMósí yázhí bimá yits’ą́ą́’ yóó’ííyá.
kitten 2-mother 3-from away-3-go.PNa’ahóóhaii Ya’iishjááshtsoh bini góne’ nída’adleeh.
July 3-in 3-into rodeo 3-Pl-SUP-be.RNa’nízhoozhígóó deeyá, ya’?
Gallup-toward 2-go.sg.F QNaʼahóóhai baa nídiikai ʼakó ʼakʼidahiʼniłí bee shíká ʼadíílwoł.
rodeo 3-about 1pl-do.F so saddle.blanket 3-with 1-after 2-help.FWe are having a rodeo, so help me with a saddle blanket.
bookmark- Command, affirmativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- -aa tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- Futurefind in Navajo Imperatives
- ’áko so, so that, so thenfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- -ee by means offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -ká after, forfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
Náńsdzáago t’áá ’íídą́ą́’ ’ííníyą́ą’ dooleeł.
back-1-go.sg.P-GO just already INDEF-2-eat.P FUTWhen I get back, you will/should already have eaten.
bookmarkNíká ’adeeshwoł biniiyé níyá.
2-for 1-run.F 3-purpose.of 1-came.PI came to help you.
bookmark- -ká after, forfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishwoł run alongfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -niiyé for the purpose of, tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nishááh come, arrivefind in Navajo Verb Modes