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

’Aadę́ę́’ hoołtį́į́ł.

there-from 3s-rain.Prog

’Ahwééh doo dich’í’ígíí ła’ jóódlą́ą́’.

coffee NEG 3-bitter.NI-NOM some 3-4-drink.O
listenloadingplaying

I want to drink coffee that isn’t bitter.

’Azhą́ hasistih ndi t’ah honishyóí.

even.though 1-be.old-P even.though still 1-be.energetic.NI

-gha

listenloadingplaying

-ídin

Asdzą́ą́ yázhí bichidí doondó’ ndi naalnish da.

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

Chidí bitiin ’ałts’ą́ą́hjí ’ańt’i’.

listenloadingplaying

There’s a fence on both sides of the highway.

Chidí diiłts’į́į́h.

car 3-2-start.I

Da’ 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.NI

dajiłhį́į́h

pl-3DO-4dpl-melt.it.(snow).I

Damóo yę́ędą́ą́’ dziłghą́ą́’dę́ę́’ shádí dóó ba’áłchíní bił ’adaashkai.

sunday past-time mountain top.of-from 1-elder.sister and 3-children 3-with downward-1-go.Pl.P
listenloadingplaying

Last Sunday I accompanied my older sister and her family down from the mountaintop.

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.

dideidííłjéé’

pl-3DO-3dpl-start.fire.P

Díigi ’át’éegoósh ’ájiił’įįh?

this-at 3-be-GO-Q SUP-4-do.P

Díí na’ach’ąąhígíí baa hashne’ dooleeł.

TOP 3-picture.I-ÍGÍÍ 3-of 1-tell.CI 3-be.F

I will talk about this picture.

Doo ’áłah deiidleeh da.

NEG together pl-1dpl-meet.pl.I NEG

doo yéé --- -í

listenloadingplaying

it’s a good thing that, you’re lucky that

Gowééh ła’ ’ádá dooshkááł laanaa.

coffee one for.self pl.3-1-handle.OC.O wish
listenloadingplaying

I wish I had a cup of coffee.

hadaniilchaad

pl-3DO-1dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).P

Hahgosh Daniel hidilníísh?

when-GO-Q Daniel 3-start.work
listenloadingplaying

When does Daniel go to work?

haníłchaad

3DO-2-card.it.(as.in.wool).I

Hastiin sání léi’ ’áłchíní bił yanáa’áago yił nahalne’.

man old INDEF children 3-with 3-pile.NI-COMP 3-with 3-tell.CI
listenloadingplaying

An old man is telling stories to a pile of children. (Lit. the children are piled with him)

Hádą́ą́’sh Dibé Nitsaadę́ę́’ néínídzá?

when-past-Q Colorado 3-return.P

Hádą́ą́’sh Mary ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?

when-past-Q Mary school-from 3-return.P

Háí shą’ bił nanilnish?

who Q 3-with 2-work.I

Háísh tsinaa’eeł ’áyiilaa?

who-Q boat 3-3-make.P

K’ad cháshk’eh góyaa tó de ’anool’ąął.

now wash down water up 3-rise.Prog
listenloadingplaying

The water’s rising now down in the wash.

Kin Łánídiísh ’éí doodago Bee’eldííldahsinildi daats’í naniná?

Flagstaff-at-Q TOP or Albuquerque-at perhaps 2-go.around.CI

KinŁánídi ’ííníshta’ ńt’éé’ ’áádóó t’áá ’ániidígo ’áadi náánísdzáá ńtéé’ ’ééhosisya’ lá.

Flagstaff-in 1-study.P past and.then just recently there-at 1-return.P past 1-get.hazy.P disc
listenloadingplaying

I was young I went to school in Flagstaff but I returned there recently to find that I’m so hazy about things that I barely recognize the place.

Kwii ’áłah ’aleeh léi’ hasht’e náádahojidlééh.

here together meet since prepare again-pl-area-4-tidy.up.R
listenloadingplaying

There will be a meeting here, it is being tidied up again.

Naakiiskánídą́ą́’ dibé tó ła’ bá niníyį́.

two.days.ago sheep water INDEF 3-for 3-1-haul.P
listenloadingplaying

I hauled water for the sheep two days ago.

Naashnéego jooł báátis yímááz.

1-play-go.CI ball over 3-roll.P
listenloadingplaying

As I was playing I rolled over the ball.

Náshdóí yę́ę noonéełgo wónáásdóó k’adę́ę ’ádįįh jiní.

wildcat former 3-die.off.Prog-GO soon nearly 3-extinct.I 4-say.NI
listenloadingplaying

Wildcats are dying off and it is said that soon they’ll become extinct.

neiilyé

3DO-1dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.I

Ni'dózhoł.

term-3-sprinkle.O
listenloadingplaying

I wish for it to sprinkle.

Nichxǫ' doo ájíléeh da.

stop NEG 3-4-make.I NEG
listenloadingplaying

Stop, don’t do bad stuff!

nidííleeł

3DO-2-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.F

Nizhé’é ha’át’íísh nayiisnii’?

2-father what-Q 3-3-buy.P

Nił hǫ́zhǫ́ǫ́sh doodaii’ doósh nił hózhǫ́ǫ da?

2-with-happy.NI-Q or neg-Q 2-with happy.NI neg

Shighan bíighahgi yas biyi’dę́ę́’ tsé hahíí’ą́.

3-house 3-inside of snow 3-inside-from rock 3-stick.out.NP

shiilbéézh

3DO-1dpl-boil.it.P

Shimá sání Mary níigo yee ’ádójí.

1-grandmother Mary 3-say.I-GO 3-by reflexive-3-call.NI
listenloadingplaying

My grandmother calls herself Mary.

Shimá sání t’áá shídin ’ííyá.

listenloadingplaying

My grandmother went away without me.

Shínaaí shíká ’adoolwoł nisin ńt’éé’ ’áłt’ąą t’áadoo níyáa da.

1-older.brother 1-for 3-run.F 1-want.NI but after.all NEG 3-come.sg.P NEG

T’áadoo ’anit’íní!

neg 2-do.NI-Í

T’áadoo hosh niyą́ní.

T’ÁADOO cactus 3-2-eat.I-Í

T’áá ’íídą́ą́’ ła’ nímasii bik’ééłgizh.

already some potato 3-1-peel.P

T'áá kwe’é shiba’ sínídáa doleeł.

just right.here 1-waiting.for 2-sit.SPN FUT
listenloadingplaying

You are to sit right here and wait for me.

yishą́

3DO-1-eat.it.I

yíníyą́ą́’

3DO-2-eat.it.P