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’ ’íítseedgo bee na’anishí hasht’enáshdlééh.

yesterday 1-pound.P-GO tool 3-1-put.back.I

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

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

’Adą́ą́dą́ą́’ísh tł’óo’di nanilnishgo nee ’ałní’ní’ą́?

yesterday-Q outside-at 2-work.CI-GO 2-with noon

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

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

’Anishkeed, t’áá ká nóólk’oł.

2-3-photograph.I neg 2-blink.O

’Ashiiké yázhí ła’ chidí yikáá’dę́ę́’ ’adah ’adoogoh.

boys little INDEF car 3-on-from down 3-fall.F
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One of little boys might fall off the front of the car.

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ Naayéé’ Neizghání ha’a’aahjigo ’atsiniltł’ish bił dah yizdéél jiní.

long.ago Monster Slayer east-to lightning 3-with up 3-move.SFO.P 4-say
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It is said that long ago Monster Slayer was carried away eastward by lightning.

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

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

’Ííshją́ą́ ’at’ééd yázhí hooghandę́ę́’ ch’idoogááł.

certainly girl little house-from out-3-walk.F

’Íídeeshwosh daats’í doodaii’ saad naalkaah bindeeshnish.

1-sleep.F maybe or word research 3-1-work.F

Béégashii báháchxį’go bik’ee neeshchééł.

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

Ch’ééh jiyáání hooghangóó dah dii’ą́ągo shee nahóółtą́.

watermelon home-toward up 3-1-move.SRO.P 1-with area-rain.P
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When I set out for home with the melon it rained on me.

Chidí kǫ́ǫ́ ndaajeehígíí t’áá ’ániidígo dahodeezlįįd.

car here 3-run.pl.I-COMP just recently pl-3-become.P
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These cars that run around here just recently came into existence, cars are a recent invention.

Chidí sits’ą́ą́’ hashtł’ish yiih yilwodgo t’áá ch’į́į́góó ch’ééh ’ííł’įįd.

car 1-away mud 3-into 3-go.P-GO just fail in.vain 3-1-act.P

Chidí bitooʼ ʼásdįįdgo doo diitsʼį́į da dooleeł.

truck 3-gas 3-exhaust.NP-GO NEG 3-start.I NEG 3-become.F
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If the truck runs out of gas, it will not start.

de, deg

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up

Deenásts’aa’ sh naaldloosh ńt’éé’ shimá siiłtsą́, yiniinaa násineestsxas.

ram 1-with 3-trot.CI past 1-mother 1-3-see.P 3-because 1-3-whip.P
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I was riding around on a ram when my mother saw me and she gave me a whipping because of it.

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

Díí yiską́ągo ’íídííłtah.

this tomorrow 3-2-read.F

doo ’asht’é’égóó

doo chohoo’į́į́góó

Doo nídahiyoołnaah da.

neg pl-3-2dpl-resuscitate.I neg

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’

dó’ --- -ísh łí

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expresses questioning uncertainty, wonderment

Haahláyéé ch’íjíghááh.

don’t.dare out-4-come.I
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Don’t you dare come out!

Hak’az ’ayóo bich’į’ sidziil.

cold really 3-towards 1-strength
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I can withstand a lot of cold.

Hodíínáá’ágo bááh dootł’izhí ła’ deeshį́į́ł.

after.a.while-GO bread blue some 1-eat.F
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In a while, I will eat some blue corn bread.

Hooghan bikáá’ dah si’áánígíí biyah danii’áago ’ádíílį́į́ł ’áko hooghan doo ałhiinídoołdas da.

hogan 3-on up 3-sit.SPN-ÍGÍÍ 3-under pl-3-extend.NP-GO 3-2-make.F so hogan NEG RECIP-3-collapse.F NEG

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.

Ląʼí Náhóółago hodookʼááłígíí yaa kódzaa dooleeł

much 3-rain-GO.O 3-fire.I-IGII 3-down to.happen.NI 3-become.F
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The forest fire will go down if we get heavy rain.

Na’nízhoozhígóó chídí doo n dah didoolwoł da.

Gallup-to car NEG 2-with up start-3.drive.F NEG

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 future

Nibéézh bee hane’é doo ndi naalnish da.

2-cellphone NEG but 3-work.P NEG

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”

Sha’ałchíní ayóó niłch’í naalkídi deineł’į́ ’áko ndi shí éí shináá bąą adin.

1-children very air 3-move.I 3-3.look.I however I 1-eyes 3-on doesn’t exist.

Sha’áłchíní béeso ’ashladiin baa nínil ńt’éé’ t’ááła’ajį́ ’ałtso yibadooskai.

1-children money 50 3-for 2-put.PlO.P past at-once all 3-3-exhaust.P

Shikee’ ’ániidígo biniinaa shikee’ bąąh tó’diisool.

1-shoe recently because 1-foot 3-on 3-blister.form.P
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Because my shoes are new, they made a water blister on my foot.

Shimá dóó shizhé’é bił dibé dóó tł’ízí ta’nda’díígish nt’éé’.

1-mom and 1-dad 3-with sheep and goats 3-pl.shear.I past

Shį́įhgo, doo haigo sin hadidii’áał da.

summer-GO, NEG winter-GO song start-2.sing.F NEG

T’áá ’ákwíízhíní tó dah siyínígóó ’ałnánáshdááh.

every summer lake-toward again-1-go.R

T’áá hazhóó’ógo yisháałgo biniinaa shaa ’adiildee’.

just carefully 1-walk.Prog-GO 3-because 1-for PASS-left.behind.P

T’áá ká ’ooshháásh.

neg 1-go.to.sleep.O

t’óó

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Tó lą’ígo nidlą́ ’áko bee nitah yá’áh’hoot’ééh dooleeł.

water many 3-2-drink.DI so 3-with 2-among pl-3-good.NI future

Tó ńlį́įgo ha’naa niníyáá ńt’éé’ kohgo tó bínéés’ąąd.

water 3-be.N-GO area-across 1-walk.P past here water 3-rise.P
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When I waded across the river the water came up to here.

Yá’át’éehgo yínááł.

be.good.I-GO 2-go.sg.Prog
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You are walking well.

Yiską́ągo shicheii nihaa deeshááł ní.

tomorrow 1-grandfather 1pl-to 1-walk.F 3-say.NI

Yóó’ ’anáháshyeed.

away SER-1-run.R
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I run away time after time.