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

Shichʼéʼé kinaasdaʼgo bitsiiʼ shá beʼdíítłʼóół tʼáásh ʼáko?

1-daughter 3-reach.puberty.P-GO 3-hair 1-for 3-2-tie.F just-Q okay

’Adą́ą́dą́ą́’ ’íítseedgo bee na’anishí hasht’enáshdlééh.

yesterday 1-pound.P-GO tool 3-1-put.back.I

’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).

’Anishkeed, t’áá ká nóólk’oł lágo.

2-3-photograph.I neg 2-blink.O LÁGO

’ałk’idą́ą́’

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long ago, formerly

’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

’Oółháásh lágo.

2-sleep.O don’t

At’ééd na’abąąs yíhooł’ą́ą’go bimá yił ’oołbąs.

girl driving 3-3-learn.P-GO 3-mother 3-with 3-drive.Prog

Át’ah ’índa shaa náádíídááł.

later 1-to again-2-come.F

Bááh łikanígíí ła’ nisin háálá ayóo łikan.

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

Bee ’atiní ’éí doo ’ashohodoobéézhgóó bee ’azk’az.

freezer TOP extremely 3-with 3-cold.SPN

Béeso bá hooghandi béeso ch’ééh ’adííníshkeed.

money 3-for house-at money in.vain 1-ask.I

Britain bikéyahą́ą t’áá ’ałtso ’ahíi’nilgo kéyah United States wolyéhígíí bilááh ’áníłtsxo ńt’éé’.

Britain 3-land just all 3-combine.P-GO land United States 3-call.NI-COMP 3-beyond 3-size.NI past
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All of the territories of Britain put together is larger than the United States.

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

daats’í

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maybe, perhaps, possibly

Díí tsídii bit’oh yisdádeeshjoł, ’áko shį́į́ kónááhoot’éhé tsídii ła’ náábít’oh dooleeł.

this bird 3-nest 3-1-save.F-NCM then maybe next.year bird some again-3-nest future
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I’ll save this bird nest (from destruction) and it will probably serve another bird next year.

doo ’ashohodéébéézhgóó

doo chohoo’į́į́góó

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.

doolá dó’ --- da lá

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a frame with the meaning “it certainly is, wow, but it is”

doozhǫǫgo

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acceptable, satisfactory, decent

dó’

Dziłghą́’ą́ bizaad diists’a’ laanaa.

White.Mountain.Apache 3-language 1-understand.NI wish

Haahláyéé ’ajiiłhosh.

don’t.dare 4-sleep.I

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

k’adę́ę

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nearly, almost

Kǫ’ ’ayóigo bee n’deezdíín ndi doo shiníłdoi da.

fire very 3-with 3-sheds.light.P but NEG 1-3-warm.SPN NEG
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The fire gives lots of light, but it doesn’t warm me.

Kóhoot’éédą́ą́’ dibé yázhí t’óó ’ahayóí hazlį́į́’. K’ad ’éí doo t'óó ’ahayói da.

last.year sheep baby a.lot 3-Pas-it.occured.P now this NEG a.lot NEG

lágo

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negative particle used with the optative mode

Na’níle’dii kingóó nisé, naaltsoos t’áadoo niigį́į da.

dismay store-to 1-go.P mail NEG 3-pass-deliver.LPB.P NEG

Náás heesháałgo chidí bine’ ’ííyá.

forward 1-step.Prog-GO car 3-behind 1-go.P
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I stepped up (and got) behind the car.

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.

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

Níwe, tʼáádoo ʼałkʼésdisí niyą́ní.

stop NEG candy 3-2-eat.DI.NEG

Shá bíighah na’ashkǫ́ǫ́’.

sun proportionate 1-swim.CI

Shicheii t’áá sáhí ’átsą́ą́’ ’ałtso yoolghal --- doochǫǫł ’át’éego ’ajilghał dooleeł!

1-grandpa just himself rib whole 3-chew.P ridiculous 3-be.NI-GO SER-3-ate.DI FUT
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My grandfather ate the whole rib section by himself --- it’s absurd to eat like that!

Shighandóó ndáá’góó ’ada’iisdee’go nihí ’éí t’áá yiike’.

1-home-from war.ceremony-to 3-go.away.P we.du.pl TOP just 1du-remain.behind.P

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

Shį́įhgo, doo haigo sin hadidii’áał da.

summer-GO, NEG winter-GO song start-2.sing.F NEG

T’ahádą̨́ą́’ dah ’ayítł’óh.

before.thus up 3-2-loom.set.I

T’áadoo naaltsoos dayínółta’í.

neg book pl-3-2dpl-read.I-Í

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.

Tł’éédą́ą́’ ńléí dził bine’jí ’adildííl yiits’a’ ni’.

night-past there mountain 3-behind-way thunder 3-sound.P recall

yah

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

Yooch’ííd wolyéii doo bił bééhózin da.

lie 3-be.called.NI NEG 3-with 3-about.be.known.CI NEG
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He is incapable of lying, he does not know what it means to lie.

Łáháda ’ach’íí’ náshdį́į́h.

now.and.then rolled.intestine 1-eat.R

Łį́į́’ dóó łeech’ąą’í dibé bíhooghan góne’ yah ahi’noolcháá’.

horse and dog sheep 3-corral inside into 2-together-run-in.P

łahda

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sometimes, from time to time