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

’Ak’ah ła’ dishhį́įhgo baa naashá.

lard some 3-1-melt.I 3-to 1-go.CI

Ch’ééníshį́įgo náá’deeshtł’óół nissin.

return.summer.GO 1-again.weave.F 1-desire

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó dichin shi’niiłhį́.

morning-past NEG 1-eat.P-NEG.GO because soon hunger 1-3-kill.P

’ayóo

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very, extremely

’Ayóo la’ deesdoi, nahóółtą́ą́’ laanaa.

very disc 3-hot.SPN 3-rain.O hope

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ ’ayóo nahałtin ńt’éé’.

long.ago very areal-rain.I past

’Ádihodideesht’ih sha’shin nisingo t’áadoo ’atah haasdzíi’ da.

RFLX-1-get.into.trouble.F perhaps 1-think.CI-GO NEG among 1-say.P NEG

’Ąąh háá’á wolyéii k’ad doo ’asht’é’égóó bik’ee ntsinisdzá.

credit 3-call.P now neg extremely.neg 3-on-account-of overwhelm.P

Ániid ’iiyą́ą́’áko ndi t’ah dichin nisin.

recently 1-eat.P even then still 3-hungry 1-want.NI

Ch’iyáán ’ádaasdįįdgo kingóó ła’ hááshááł.

food pl-3-run.out.P-GO store-to some area-1-go.get.Prog

Chizh ła’ yah ’aníjááh.

firewood some in 2-bring.I

Da’ Ron yiską́ągo saad neidoołkah?

Q Ron tomorrow word 3-3-investigate.F

Dibé yázhi bimá doo boosáni da, biʼnootsaał.

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

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

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.

Díí tł’éé’ t’áá ká dóola dá’ák’eólyeed lágo, dádiʼnítįįh.

this night NEG bull into.field-3-run.O hope.not 3-2-close.gate.I

Doo ’áłah deiidleeh da.

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

Doo hanii ni ’ałdó’ nilį́į́’ bik’i dah ’íníił da.

NEG contrary 2 also 2-horse 3-on up saddle 3-2-put.PlO.I NEG
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Why don’t you saddle your horse too?

Doo kingóó diit’ash da.

NEG town-to 1dpl-go.du.Prog NEG

Doo ndó’ daatsaah noolin da.

NEG but 3-be.sick.I 3-resemble.NP NEG
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He doesn’t even look sick (much less act sick).

Dooshą’ gah t’áá gééd náshdááh lá.

ensure rabbit just without 1-return.I DISC
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I’ll see to it that I don’t return without a rabbit.

dó’

Haidą́ą́’ shich’ą́ą́h ’ííchííl na’nishkaadgo.

winter-past 1-protect 3-snow.P 3-1-herd.CI-GO

Halah doo bííghah jiztį́į da.

opposite.sibling NEG 3-beside 4-lay.O NEG
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Do not lay beside your brother or sister.

hazhóó’ógo

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carefully, painstakingly

Hoozdo hoolyéedi deesdoi sha’shin. ’Áyaańda (’áyąą) diné bi’éétsoh t’áá gééd ndaakai.

Phoenix areal-called-at hot possibly no.wonder person 3-coat without pl-3-go.pl.P
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I guess it’s warm in Phoenix. No wonder people go around without coats.

K’ad ’ałníí’góó ’eeshtł’óół doo yę́ę ła’ damóo yę́ędą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’asétł’ǫ́ǫ da.

now half-toward 1-weave.Prog future past one Sunday when.past NEG 1-weave.P NEG

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

now wash area-down water up 3-move.Prog
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The water level is rising now down the wash.

Naaki yiskánídą́ą́’ da’iiníílta’go hahoolzhiizh.

two day-past pl-1dpl-school.NI-GO start-time.passing.P
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We started school a couple of days ago.

Naalyéhé hooghandi tł’oh hániikai ńt’éé’ ’áníídí yee’ ’ásdįįd lágo ’áadi niikai.

trading.post-at hay 1dpl-go.pl.P past recently very 3-disappear.P DISC-GO there 1dpl-go.pl.P
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We went to the trading post after hay only to find that the supply had just run out.

Nanise’ígíí ch’iyáán daohsą́ ’áko bee nihits’íís bitah yá’ádahoot’ééh dooleeł.

plant-ÍGÍÍ food pl-2-eat.I so 3-with 2pl-body 3-among pl-3-good.NI future

Náá’íídéeshtah nisin doodago t’óó siláogóó deeshááł.

again-1-go.school.F 1-want or merely military-to 1-go.F

náás

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forward, farther on

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.

Náneeskaadi t’áádoo naa’ółí bił yíyą́ą’da. ’Alóós t’éiyá yíyą́ą́’.

Tortilla-N (t’áá)doo-NEG Bean-N bił-3-with yíyą́ą’da-3o-1s-eat.P NEG Rice-N t’éiyá-only yíyą́ą’-3o-1s-eat.P.

Ni ga’ k’ad dibé bikéé’ díínááł.

you EMPH now sheep 3-behind 2-go.F

Nibéézh bee hane’é doo ndi naalnish da.

2-cellphone NEG but 3-work.P NEG

Nidlóóhísh doodaii’ doo daats’í nidlóoh da?

2-cold.I-Q or neg perhaps 2-cold.I neg

Nimá yázhí bighangóó díílwoł dóó ’áájí ’awéé’ baa ’áhólyą́dooleeł.

your aunt 3-house-to 2-run-and that-way baby 3-for 2-care.CI FUT

ńt’éé’

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relates to past time. Used variously as an adverb, a connective (conjunction), and, with nouns, as an adjective translatable as “former, late, deceased”

Shicheii t’áá ’íiyisíí hastihgo biniinaa kónááhoot’éhí doo na’ádódlíi da.

1-grandfather very 3-old.N-GO because next.year NEG 3-expect.live.NP NEG
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Since my grandfather is very old he doesn’t expect to be alive next year at this time.

Shiyáázh Damóogo ’índa ’áádę́ę́’ nídeesdzá

1-son Sunday.GO will.be from 2-returning.F

Shínaaí łahda b náhoniidoh.

1-older.brother sometime 3-with 3-become.warm.R
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My older brother gets drunk sometimes.

Shį́į́dą́ą́’ sitsą́ hodíínii’go k’asdą́ą́’ dasétsą́.

summer-last 1-stomach areal-.hurt.P-GO nearly 1-die.P
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Last summer I nearly died with a pain in my abdomen.

Shí Kinłánígóó shiłayóó ’ánízáád ’áko ndi sitsóí ’éí bił ’áyídí.

I Denver to 1-with 3-far.NI but 1-grandsongranddaughter 3-with nearby

T’áadoo hadahooł’áhí.

neg pl-3s-2dpl-make.noise.NP-Í

T’áá ká chidí ba’óó’ááł lágo.

NEG car 3-3-borrow.O LÁGO

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.

wónáásdóó

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soon, finally

ʼÁkǫ́ǫ́ nił deeshʼash tʼáadóo nchaaígo tʼéiyá.

there 2-with 1-go.du.F NEG 2-cry.DI-Í-GO only