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

’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

’Ak’éégo ’éí chizh niléí keehaidi ninahdahiigééh nt’éé’.

autumn-GO that wood over.there winter.camp-at pl-3-1-unload.P past

’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.

’Awéé’ bimá bit’ah sitį́.

baby 3-mother 3-undercover 3-lying.SPN
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The baby is lying under the same covers with its mother.

’azhą́ndi

’Ałk’ésdisí naháłnii’go sitsilí dóó shideezhí ’aheełt’éego bá ’ahá níjaa’.

candy 3-1-buy.CI-GO 1-little.brother and 1-little.sister 3-1 split-GO.I 3-for 3-1 gave.I

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ tł’oh naadą́ą́’ dant’į́įhgo łį́į́’ doodaii’ béégashii da há hadahwiił’éés ńt’éé’.

long.ago grass corn 3-ripen.I-GO horse or cow etc. 4-for 3-stomp.I past

’Áko ’índa ’ákǫ́ǫ́ dah diiyá.

after.that to.there start 1.go.I

’Éí naanishígíí haa nízahdę́ę́’ binanilnishgo hoolzhiizh?

that work-ÍGÍÍ how 3-long.N-past 3-2-work-GO time.move.P

’Oółháásh lágo.

2-sleep.O don’t

Beeldléí danołtsóós.

blanket pl-3-2dpl-bring.FFO.I

bik’ídidoohdis

3DO-2dpl-wrap.it.around.it.F

Ch’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-I

Chahash’ohjí ch’ínááhoníshóó’.

brush arbor-JÍ out-again-area-sweep.R
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I swept the brush arbor again.

Chidí ’anáshdlééh, háálá doo naalnish da.

car 3-1-repair.I because NEG 3-work.I NEG

Chidí naat’a’íísh hooghan yikáá’góó ch’éta’ ’éí doodago daats’í dził yąąhgóó ch’ét’a’?

airplane-Q house 3-over-along 3-fly.P TOP or perhaps mountain 3-over-along 3-fly.P

Chidíłtsooí bidááh síńzį́į dooleeł.

car-yellow-REL 3-for 2-stand.SPN FUT
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You wait for the yellow bus.

da’

dadiidį́į́ł

pl-3DO-1dpl-eat.it.F

dajiigish

pl-3DO-4dpl-make.one.cut.in.it.I

Dichin nínízin ya’?

hungry 2-want.NI Q

didadoołjéé’

pl-3DO-2dpl-start.fire.P

didiiljéé’

3DO-1dpl-start.fire.P

Díí tł’óół tsin bik’ídísdis.

this rope stick 3-on-3-1-wrap.I

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).

Dooládó’ shį́į́ ’adą́ą́dą́ą́’ shich’ohoos’ni’ da kintah góyaa yishááł ńt’éé’ béeso naadiinígíí ńdiiłtsooz.

wow probably yesterday 1-lucky.P town areal down 1-go.I Past money twenty-NOM 3-sit.FFO.P

Dziłdę́ę́’ hoołtį́į́ł ńt’éé’ t’áá nihich’į’jį’ ’ásdįįd.

mountain-from areal-rain.Prg past just 1pl-toward-up.to 3-disappear.P
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A rainstorm was moving along from the mountain but it fizzled out before it reached us.

Há’át’íí lá hastiin dóó ’at’ééd ’áyiilaa?

what Q man and girl 3-3-make.P

Háíshą’ tsinaa’eeł ’áyiilaa?

who-Q boat 3-3-make.P

jiigish

3DO-4-make.one.cut.in.it.I

jííyą́ą́’

3DO-4-eat.it.P

Kénídánííljeehgo, sin ła’ beehódíítał.

shoe.game-GO song some 2-sing.F

Naakaii bizaad jółta’ le’ dzinízingo dzizdá.

mexican language 4-read.I wish 4-wish.O-GO 4-sit.P
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She is wishing he could read Spanish.

Naʼahóóhai baa nídiikai ʼakó ʼakʼidahiʼniłí bee shí ʼadíílwoł.

rodeo 3-about 1pl-do.pl.F so saddle.blanket 3-with 1-after 2-help.F

Naʼahóóhai nitsaaígóó dóola dííyééł.

rodeo 3-big-to bull 2-haul.F
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Haul the bull to the big rodeo.

Náńsdzáago t’áá ’íídą́ą́’ ’ííníyą́ą’ dooleeł.

back-1-go.sg.P-GO just already INDEF-2-eat.P FUT
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When I get back, you will/should already have eaten.

Nichidí háadishą’ nííníłbą́ą́z

2-car where-at-Q 3-2-park.P

nideiilyé

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

nijiskáá’

3DO-4-investigate.it.P

Níléígóó díní’į́į́’ shidíiniidgo ’áádóó ’áajigo déé’į́į́’.

over.there-toward 2-look.I 1-3-say.P-GO and.then that.way-toward 1-look.P
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I was told to look that way and then I looked that way.

Ńléí ’asdzą́ą́ sáníshą’ háí ’át’į́?

there woman old-Q what 3-be.N

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.

Shitah honeezgaigo, doo naashnish da dooleeł.

1-body 3-pain.P-GO NEG 1-work.I NEG 3-become.F
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I am sick; I will not work today.

T’ah ’ałk’idídą́ą́’ t’áá neesh’į́į́ ńt’éé’.

still quite.long.ago just 2-1-see.P past
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It’s been some time since I’ve seen you.

T’ah doo sha’áłchíní haleehę́ędą́ą́’ doozhǫǫgo shibéeso (sibéeso) hólǫ́ǫ́ ńt’éé’.

still NEG 1-children 3-be.born.I-past satisfactory 1-money 3-exist.NI past
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Before I acquired a family I had plenty of money.

T’iis bąąh nidaohna’.

cottonwood 3-on pl-2dpl-climb.I

Tooh ńlínígíí ha’naa shił ’adeezbą́ą́z ńt’éé’ tsinaabąąs nihits’ą́ą́’ k’é’éłtǫ’.

water river areal-across 1-with 3-drive.P past wagon 2dpl-away 3-break.P
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I started to ride across the river (by wagon) but it broke down on us.

Tsékooh biniit’aají łįį’hoł sizį́į́go binísá.

canyon 3-barring.to.a.point horse 4-with 3-stand.SPN.GO 3-1-caught-up.P
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I caught up with him sitting on his horse at the canyon.

Tsxį́įłgo łees’áán ’ánílééh; nimásání nihaa níyá!

quickly tortilla 2-make.I 2-mat.grandma 1.pl-to 3-came.P

łáháda

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now and then, once in a while, seldom, rarely