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

’Áłchíní hastą́ą́ binidááhaidóó 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

’Íídeeshwosh daats’í doodaii’ saad naalkaah bindeeshnish.

1-sleep.F maybe or word research 3-1-work.F

-sh

Abínídą́ą́’ kintahgóó dah didoohkah.

morning-past town-GÓÓ up start-3pl.go.F

Asdzą́ą́ yázhí bichidí doondó’ ndi naalnish da.

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

Bik’os gónaa ’ałch’į’ yiyiissił nahalin.

3-neck around toward.each.other 3-3-grab.I seem.to.appear

Ch’iyáánísh hólǫ́?

food-Q 4-exist.NI

Da’ Cubadę́ę́’ tsinaa’eeł nił ní’éél?

Q Cuba-from boat 2-with 3-float.P

Daané’é baa na’aldeehdi ’at’ééd jooł yídzoołtał.

game 3-to 3-happen.CI-at girl ball 3-3-kick.Prog

dajoodlą́ą́’

pl-3DO-4dpl-drink.it.P

Daniel hahgosh hidilníísh?

Daniel when-Q 3-start.work.I

dazhdidoołhįh

pl-3DO-4dpl-melt.it.F

deiyííyą́ą́’

pl-3DO-3dpl-eat.it.P

Dibé bighan báátis dah yiishte’.

Sheep corral 3-over up 1-climb.P

Dibé yázhi bimá doo boosáni da, biʼnootsaał.

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

Don´t let the lamb starve to death because itʼs mother is rejecting it.

didínóołkał

3DO-2dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).F

diidiłjeeh

3DO-3-start.fire.I

dizhdííłjéé’

3DO-4-start.fire.P

Díidí háísh bichidí?

this who-Q 3-car

Díí chidí ’ayóo dilwo’ ha’ní ’áko ndi doo baa jííníshłíi da.

this car very 3-fast 3-say.P CONJ NEG 3-about 4-1-rely.P NEG

Doo b bééhózin da ya’?

neg 3-with 3-know.CI neg Q

Dził bit’ááhgi bįįh halzheeh.

Mountain 3-close.to-at deer 3-3-hunting.CI
listenloadingplaying

He’s deer hunting over near the mountain.

Gah bikéé’ yishwoł.

rabbit 3-following 1-run.Prog

Gohwééh doo ndi łikan da.

coffee NEG but 3-taste-good.NI NEG
listenloadingplaying

The coffee doesn’t even taste good.

Ha’át’éegishą’ nich’ah nííní’ą́?

where-at-Q 2-hat 3-2-set.down.SRO.P
listenloadingplaying

Where did you leave your hat? Where did you set your hat down?

ha’át’ééjí

Joołísh ’atiin tsé’naa ’ahííníłhan doodaii’ daats’í ’anít’i’ báhátis ’ahííníłhan?

ball-Q road across 3-2-throw.P or perhjaps fence 3-over 3-2-throw.P

Mary ha’át’íí nayiisnii’?

Mary what 3-3-buy.P

Náhookǫsdę́ę́’ níłch’igo ’ayóo deesk’aaz.

north.from breeze-GO very cold.SPN

Neeznáadigóó ’oolkiłgo ’áłah ’aleeh daaní.

ten.at-toward time-GO meeting pl-4-say.NI

neidooleeł

3DO-3-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.F

Nichxǫ' doo ájíléeh da.

stop NEG 3-4-make.I NEG
listenloadingplaying

Stop, don’t do bad stuff!

Níká ’adeeshwoł biniiyé níyá.

2-for 1-run.F 3-purpose.of 1-came.P

Níwe, t’óó bee nídinine’!

stop just 3-with 3-2-play.P
listenloadingplaying

Stop, you are just starting to play with it!

Shá hooł’aah.

1-for areal-2 move-over.I

Shighanídóó ’e’e’aah bich’ijígo shádí bighan.

1-home-from west 3-in.the.direction.of older.sister 3-dwell.N

Shiyáázh niʼíłtááh. Bá daʼdiidííł; ʼákohgo chʼiyáán ʼálʼį́įgi shiká ʼadoojah.

1-son 3-graduate.I 3-for 1pl-eat.F so-then food indef-make-at 1-after 3pl-help.F
listenloadingplaying

My son is graduating, let’s have a dinner, I need everyoneʼs help preparing the meal.

Shizhé’é bichíditsoh yaa naashnish

1-father 3-truck-large on.it 3-3-worked.P 1-father 3-truck-large on.it 3-3-worked

T’iis bąąh nidaohna’.

cottonwood 3-on pl-2dpl-climb.I

Tó Haach’i’dę́ę́’ ’ííyisíí naashá.

Tohatchi-from truly 1-go.CI

Tó háálínídi ’ahéédidiit’ashałní’ní’ą́ągo.

spring-at refl-1du-meet.F noon-GO
listenloadingplaying

Let’s meet at the spring at noon.

Tséíłkéí nidaanéego dahonółne’ laanaa daniidzin.

teens pl-3pl-play.I-GO pl-3pl-win.O hope pl-3pl-think.P
listenloadingplaying

We are wishing the teens would win their game.

Tsinaabąąs t’éiyá bee ch’aa nida’asdee’ ha’níigo dahane’.

wagon only 3-it travel pl-3-go.P 3-say-GO.NI pl-3-tell.P
listenloadingplaying

We heard people traveled by wagon long ago.

Tsxį́įłgo yoołkááł.

in.a hurry-GO night.is.passing.Prog
listenloadingplaying

The days are going fast.

Tsxį́įłgo łees’áán ’ádíílííł nimásání nihaa yighááh!

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

Yadiizíní bigháníshgéésh.

can 3-through-1-cut.open.I

yiishjį́į́’

Perfective Mode: 1-become.black.P

Yiską́ągo shicheii nihaa deeshááł ní.

tomorrow 1-grandfather 1pl-to 1-walk.F 3-say.NI

Yiską́ągo łį́į́’ ’ahaniniilkaad dooleeł.

tomorrow-GO horse 1dpl-round.up.P FUT
listenloadingplaying

We are going to round up the horses tomorrow.

łahágóó

listenloadingplaying

in a few places