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

’Adą́ą́dą́ą́’ shá bíighah ’atah ’adishdiłgo ’i’íí’ą́.

yesterday 1-for 3-passing down 1-play.stick.dice.RI evening

’Adą́ą́dą́ą́’ shá bíighah kintahdi tádísháahgo shee ’i’íí’ą́.

yesterday sun proportionate town-at 1-go.about.Prog-GO 1-on 3-sun.went.down.P

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ hashbį’go baa nídiisdzá ’ákondi t’áadoo ’áłtso da.

morning-past 1-clear.I-GO 3-for 1-start.P however NEG complete NEG

’Asdzą́ą́ Báhóózhóní yinishyée dooleeł.

woman happy 1-called.NI FUT

’Ashkii bi’éé’ hazhó’ó ’ayíyiishchid dóó ’ólta’ góne’ yah ’ííyá.

boy 3-shirt nicely 3-3-tuck.in.P and school into into 3-go.P

’Ashkii yázhí ’ayóo hwe’ádílááh.

boy little very 3-mischief
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The little boy is very mischievous.

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

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

’Ałní’ní’ą́ągo tó háálínídi ’ahéédidiit’ash.

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

’Ádą́ą́dą́ą́’ásh nishínílnish?

yesterday-Q 2-work.P

’Íhoo’aah ’ayóo bidziil.

education very 3-strong.I

Béégashii báháchxį’go bik’ee neeshchééł.

cattle 3-become.angry.I-GO 3-on.account.of 1-flee.Prog

Béésh bii’ kǫ’í bizooł dego deez’á.

stove 3-pipe up 3-extend.SPN
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The stovepipe sticks up (extends upward, rises).

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’ shichidí naaki. K’ad ’éí t’ááłá’i.́

formerly 1-car two now it one
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I used to have two cars. Now I have only one.

Chidí léi’ la’ ch’ééh dah diilyeed.

car because surprise in.vain up 3-go.I

Chidí bitooʼ ʼásdįįdgo doo diitsʼį́į da dooleeł.

truck 3-gas 3-exhaust.NP-GO NEG 3-start.I NEG 3-become.F

listenloadingplayingSpeaker: Jacob LargolistenloadingplayingSpeaker: Wallace Dale

If the truck runs out of gas, it will not start.

dego

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up, upward, up in the air

Dibé bits’į́’ daodą́ą́’ lágo.

sheep 3-meat pl-3-1dpl-eat.O LÁGO

Dichin bik’ee doo bííchįįd da.

hunger 3-account neg 3-become.hopeless.P neg
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On account of famine conditions have become hopeless.

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.

Diné ła’ nizhónígo kéédahojit’į́ danihó’ní, ’áko ndi doo ’ákót’ée da.

people some 3-nice.NI-GO pl-4-3-reside.NI 3-Pl. so but NEG 4-think.CI NEG

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.

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

doo ’ashohodoobéézhgóó

doo ’asht’é’égóó

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.

Ha’a’aahgo doo jiztįį da, johonaa’ai hwił ołtáh jíní.

sunrise-GO NEG 4-lay.O NEG, sun 4-with count 4-say.I
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Do not lay after the sun rises, the sun will count you in with the dead.

hágoónee’

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well, all right then, well

K’ad hooghangóó nááshdááł dooleeł.

now hogan-toward 1-go.Prog FUT

Ląʼí nahółtą́ągo t’éiyá hodookʼááłígíí yaa hódoonííł.

much 3-rain.O-GO only areal-fire.I-IGII down HO-happen.F

The forest fire will go down only if there is heavy rain.

Na’nízhoozhídi yíníyáago t’áá ła’ bił ’ahóókááh lágo.

Gallup-at 2-go.P-GO see.to.it some 3-with 3pl-meet.O NEG

Naʼazhǫǫshgóó dooʼáazhgo nihikééʼ ʼiih deeshwoł.

casino-to 2du-go.F-GO 2pl-follow 3-into 1-run.F

náás

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forward, farther on

Náhookǫsdę́ę’go níłch’igo ’ayóo deesk’aaz.

north.from-GO breeze-GO very cold.SPN

Náńsdzáago t’áá ’íídą́ą́’ ’ííníyą́ą’ dooleeł.

back-1-go.sg.P-GO just already INDEF-2-eat.P FUT
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When I get back, you will/should already have eaten.

Nidlóóhísh doodaii’ dooísh nidlóoh da?

2-cold.I-Q or NEG-Q 2-cold.I-Q NEG

Shá bíighah tsiyaa sédáago, shinááł nida’jiłkǫ́ǫ́’.

sun proportionate tree-under 1-sit.SPN-GO 1-watch.CI pl-4-swim.P

Shicheii haastihgo łáháda ninálnish.

1-grandfather 3-become.old.P-GO seldom 3-work.R
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My grandfather seldom (rarely) works since he got old.

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

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

Shimósí yázhí tsin yąąh dah sidáago hádésh’na’ ńt’éé’ ’áłt’ąą hadanáálwod.

1-cat little tree 3-on up 3-sit.SPN-GO 1-climb.P but after.all 3-run.down.P

Shimá bighangóó shíni’ ńt’éé’ ch’ééhago shhoogéé’.

1-mother 3-home-to 1-desire.to.go past in.vain 1-go.P-GO 1-with ho-become.lazy.X

Shizhé’é ’azee’ál’į́į́ góne’ b yah ’i’ííbą́ą́z.

1-father hospital into 3-with in 3-push.wheel.P
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My father was wheeled into the hospital.

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

T’ah ’ałk’idídą́ą́’ ’éí Diné tát’áá góyaa kéédahat’íinii t’éiyá díí tábąąhgóó bidáda’ak’eh naaznil ńt’éé’.

still quite.long.ago the people water-near areal-down pl-3-reside.NI-NOM only this water-edge-toward farm 3-lie.PlO.SPN past

t’áá gééd

Tsé bikáa’gi béésh dah si’ą́.

rock 3-on-at knife up 3-sit.SNP

Tsxį́įłgo yoołkááł.

in.a hurry-GO night.is.passing.Prog
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The days are going fast.

Tł’éé’go doo ’ízh’dísóół da.

night-GO NEG 4-whistle.O NEG
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Do not whistle at night.

Yiską́ągo ’éí Ya’iishjááshchilí náhást’éíts’áadah

tomorrow-GO that June nineteen
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Tomorrow is Juneteenth.