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
’adah
’Ahbínídą́ą́’ hashbį’go baa nídiisdzá ’ákondi t’áadoo ’áłtso da.
morning-past 1-clear.I-GO 3-for 1-start.P however but not-yet all NEGEven though I started clearing the land this morning I didn’t finish.
bookmark- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- hashbį’ clear the landfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńdiishdááh startfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ahbínídą́ą́’ this morning
- -dą́ą́’ past timefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- time
- -aa tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- goal
’Anishkeed, t’áá ká nóólk’oł lágo.
2-3-photograph.I neg 2-blink.O LÁGO’Anishkeed, t’áá ká nóólk’oł.
2-3-photograph.I neg 2-blink.O’Awééh kweʼé ninishteeh, adaʼoogeeh.
baby here 3-carry.AnO.I 3-fall.O’Ayóo łį́į́’ shił naalgeed diní, ’ííshją́ą́shį́į́ díí łį́į́chogii bikáá’ dah ńdaah!
very horse 1-with 3-buck.CI 3-2-say.NI lets.see this stallion 3-on up 2-sit.I’Ííshją́ą́ shį́į́ díí ’atoo’ béésh bii’ kǫ’í bikáá’ dah séką́.
certainly perhaps this stew stove 3-on up 3-1-put.OC.PAsdzą́ą́ yázhí bichidí doondó’ naalnish da.
woman little 3-car not.even but 3-work.P NEGBikáá’ dah ’asdáhí bikáa’gi doodaai’ ni’góó daats’í nishdaah?
chair 3-top-at or floor-on perhaps 1-sit.NICh’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Bilagáanaa Bizaad doo diists’a’ da. K’ad ’éí t’áá shxǫǫ t’áá bee yáshti’.
formerly English neg 1-understand.I neg. Now TOP good.thing barely 3.with 1.speak-IBefore, I didn’t understand English. Now, thankfully, I can speak some.
bookmark- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- diists’a hear, understandfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yáshti’ speakfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ formerly, originally
- -ee by means offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- instrumental
Daango k’ééda’dilyééh nt’éé’ t’áádoo k’ééda’diilyáa da.
spring-GO 3-plant.R past NEG 3-3-plant.P NEGWe used to plant in the springtime, but this time we didn’t.
bookmark- -go verb and subordinating enclitic
- Iterative (R)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- k’idishłé plant itfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ pastfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- ńt’éé’ relates to past time
- t’áadoo not
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- k’idishłé plant itfind in Navajo Verb Modes
Dibé yázhi bimá doo boosáni da, biʼnootsaał.
sheep little 3-mother NEG 3-love.I NEG 3-starve.ODiné 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 NEGDíí tł’éé’ t’áá ká dóola dá’ák’eólyeed lágo.
this night NEG bull into.field-3-run.O hope.not LÁGODíí tł’éé’ t’áá ká dóola dá’ák’eólyeed.
this night NEG bull into.field-3-run.ODíí tł’éé’ t’áá ká dóola dá’ák’eólyeed; dádi’nítįįh.
this night NEG bull into.field-3-run.O hope.not 3-2-close.gate.IDíí yiską́ągo ’íídííłtah.
this tomorrow 3-2-read.FDoo ’áłah deiidleeh da.
NEG together pl-1dpl-meet.pl.I NEGDoo ’áłah diidleeł da.
NEG together pl-1dpl-meet.pl.F NEGDoo 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 NEGDooshą’ kót’éego áníléeh da lá.
ensure like.this 2-do.I DISChahí
Haidą́ą́’ ’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
hanii
Hazhóʼí sínídá. Tʼáadoo naaní’dííldisí.
careful 2-sit.I NEG again-2-wander.Prog-íSit still. Donʼt just run around.
bookmark- Progressivefind in Navajo Imperatives
- hazhóʼí carefully
- Command, negativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Command, affirmativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- t’áadoo not
- Progressivefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- sédá sitfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Progressive (Prog)find in Navajo Verb Modes
Hoozdohdi ’éí doo ’ashohodoobéézhgóó deesdoi.
Phoenix-at TOP extremely 3-hot.SPNK’ad cháshk’eh góyaa tó de ’anool’ąął.
now wash down water up 3-rise.ProgKʼadí! Tʼáadoo tʼóó ’ííyį́į̨́łí.
stop NEG just 2-eat.Prog-ínaa
Nanise’ígíí ch’iiyáán daohsą́ ’áko bee nihits’íís bitah ya’ádahoot’ééh dooleeł.
plant-ÍGÍÍ food pl-2-eat.I so 3-with 2pl-body 3-among pl-3-good.NI futureNisneez sélį́į’go shicheii nahałáhági ’át’éego nahashłáa doo nisin.
1-tall.NI 1-become.P-GO 1-grandfather 3-perform.ceremony.CI-similar.to 1-perform.ceremony.CI future 3-want.NINizhéʼé nilą́ąjįʼ yigáałgo bikééʼ yilwoł.
2-father 2-in.front-to 3-walk.Prog-GO 3-behind 2-run.ProgRun along behind your father as he walks ahead of you.
bookmark- Command, affirmativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Progressivefind in Navajo Imperatives
- -go verb and subordinating enclitic
- -jį́’ up to, as far asfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -kéé’ behind, followingfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Progressive (Prog)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishwoł run alongfind in Navajo Verb Modes
Shichidí t’ahdii yá’át’ééh, ’át’ah ’índa ła’ ninááhideeshnih.
1-car still 3-good.N later one again-3-1-buy.FShínaaí 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 NEGI wanted my older brother to help me but unfortunately he didn’t come.
bookmark- -ká after, forfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- benefactive
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishwoł run alongfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ relates to past time
- ’áłt’ąą after all
- t’áadoo not
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrases
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nishááh come, arrivefind in Navajo Verb Modes