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 okayWhen my daughter has the puberty ceremony, will you tie her hair for me?
bookmark- Request, affirmativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -go verb and subordinating enclitic
- -á for, for the benefit offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ísh enclitic for yes/no questionsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
’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’Anishkeed, t’áá ká nóólk’oł lágo.
2-3-photograph.I neg 2-blink.O LÁGO’ałk’idą́ą́’
’áyąą
’áłt’ąą
’Oółháásh lágo.
2-sleep.O don’tAt’ééd na’abąąs yíhooł’ą́ą’go bimá yił ’oołbąs.
girl driving 3-3-learn.P-GO 3-mother 3-with 3-drive.ProgÁt’ah ’índa shaa náádíídááł.
later 1-to again-2-come.FBááh łikanígíí ła’ nisin háálá ayóo łikan.
bread 3-be.sweet.NI.NOM some 3-1-want.NI because very 3-be.sweet.NIBee ’atiní ’éí doo ’ashohodoobéézhgóó bee ’azk’az.
freezer TOP extremely 3-with 3-cold.SPNBéeso bá hooghandi béeso ch’ééh ’adííníshkeed.
money 3-for house-at money in.vain 1-ask.IBritain 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 pastCh’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.Idaats’í
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 futuredoo ’ashohodéébéézhgóó
doo chohoo’į́į́góó
Doo chosh shijooł’į́į́’ léi’gi’ ’át’éégóó shił hóyéé’.
NEG 3-1-make.use.O proof.against-NEG 1-with lazy.NIDoo łá’í ndi naash’áa da.
NEG one but 3-1-hold.SRO.CI NEGdoozhǫǫgo
dó’
Dziłghą́’ą́ bizaad diists’a’ laanaa.
White.Mountain.Apache 3-language 1-understand.NI wishHaahláyéé ’ajiiłhosh.
don’t.dare 4-sleep.IHaidą́ą́’ ’a’áán góne’ naashnish ńt’éé’ --- doo shił yá’át’éeh da.
winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.I past neg 1-with 3-good.N negWhile I was working in the mine shaft last year and I didn’t like it (the experience).
bookmark- -dą́ą́’ past timefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -ne’ behindfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- naashnish workfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ relates to past time
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrases
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
k’adę́ę
Kǫ’ ’ayóigo bee n’deezdíín ndi doo shiníłdoi da.
fire very 3-with 3-sheds.light.P but NEG 1-3-warm.SPN NEGKóhoot’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 NEGNa’níle’dii kingóó niséyá, naaltsoos t’áadoo niigį́į da.
dismay store-to 1-go.P mail NEG 3-pass-deliver.LPB.P NEGI went to the store, only to find the mail had not been delivered.
bookmark- na’ńle’dii unfortunatelyfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- t’áadoo not
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- da expresses negationfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
Náás heesháałgo chidí bine’ ’ííyá.
forward 1-step.Prog-GO car 3-behind 1-go.PNáshdóí yę́ę noonéełgo wónáásdóó k’adę́ę ’ádįįh jiní.
wildcat former 3-die.off.Prog-GO soon nearly 3-extinct.I 4-say.NINimá yázhí bighangóó díílwoł dóó ’áájí ’awéé’ baa ’áhólyą́ą dooleeł.
2-auntie 3-house-toward 2-run.F and there-at baby 3-to 2-care.CI FUTGo to your aunt’s house and take care of the baby over there.
bookmark- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- goal
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishwoł run alongfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -jí on the side of, in the direction of, in the manner offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -aa tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- benefactive
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’áháshyą́ carefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- dooleeł future