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

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

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

’ayóí

listenloadingplaying

remarkable, amazing, extraordinary

’Ayóo la’ deesdoi, nahóółtą́ą́’ laanaa.

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

’Ałah ’aleehgóó deesháál nínízinísh doodago béésh nitsíkeesí daats’í bee nidoonááł ’éí doodago t’áá hooghanídi daats’í KTNN yídíiłts’iił?

meeting-to 1-go-F 3-2 want.NI-Q or computer possibly 2-watch.F or just home-at possibly KTNN 3-2-listen.F

’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

’ániidígo

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recently, not long ago

’Áłchíní hazhóʼí bik’i yíldził.

children careful 3-for 2-support.Prog

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

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

At’ééd na’abąąs yíhooł’ą́ą’go bimá yił ’oołbąs.

girl driving 3-3-learn.P-GO 3-mother 3-with 3-drive.Prog

Bikáá’ dah ’asdáhí bikáa’gi doodaai’ ni’góó daats’í nishdaah?

chair 3-top-at or floor-on perhaps 1-sit.NI

Ch’ééh déyáago hooghangóó nááshdááł.

in.vain 1-go.sg.P-GO home-to 1-return.Prog

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 naat’a’í nihił dah diit’a’.

airplane 1dpl-with up 3-fly.P

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

Dah doónááł lágo!

up 2-go.F don’t

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.

Doo ’áłah dadiidleeł da.

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

Doo ’áłah diidleeł da.

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

Doo ’íits’a’ída nít’éé’ ’áłt’ąą Irene níyáago ’índa hahodíídláád.

NEG 3-sound.P-NEG past finally Irene 3-arrive.P-go only.then 3-uproar.P

Doo choshijooł’į́į́’ le’ ’át’éégóó sh hóyéé’.

NEG 3-1-make.use.O proof.against-NEG 1-with lazy.NI

Doo deighánígóó łeeyi’ ’azhnígeed.

NEG far ground-inside 3-4-dig.P

Doo hanii kintahgóó díníyáa da nisin.

NEG contrary town-toward 2-start.go.P NEG 1-think.CI

Doo t’áá k’ad chidí na’ní’ą́ą da.

NEG just now vehicle 2-3-1-lend.P NEG
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I don’t want to lend you a car.

Doo yéé niiłtsán.

NEG fear .P. 2-1-see-NOM
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It’s a good thing I didn’t see you!

Gohwééh ’áłdó’ nahideeshnih nisinée beesénah lá.

coffee also 3-1-buy.F 1-want.NI-past 3-1-forget.P DISC

Hak’az ’ayóo bich’į’ sidziil.

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

Hastiin nééz doondó’ ndi ’alzhish da.

man tall NEG but 3-dance.DI NEG
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The tall man doesn’t even dance.

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 Na’nízhoozhídi naasháa le’.

now Gallup-at around-1-walk.I hope

K’adę́ę ’ałné’e’áahgo díchin bik’ee shitah ’anahodí’niitłi’.

now noon hunger 3-account 1-among 1-shake.R
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When it is nearly noon, I get shaky from hunger.

k’adę́ę ... lágo

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just about the time when

Na’ńle’dii. Tó háníyá, tóhą́ą ’ásdįįd lá.

dismay water areal-1.go 3-disappear.P DISC
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I went for water but to my dismay I found that it was all gone.

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.

Náshdóítsoh shich’į ńdiilwodgo yíníiłdon ńt’éé’ k’asídą́ą́’ sésiih.

cougar 1-toward 3-run.P-GO 3-1-shoot.P past very.nearly 3-1-miss.P
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As the mountain lion came for me I fired at him and very nearly missed him.

Ni ga’ k’ad dibé bikéé’ díínááł.

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

ni’sełkǫ́ǫ́’ léi’ yéigo bąąh ch’ééh déyá

1-swim.P because very 3-on in.vain 1-go.P

Shá bíighah na’ashkǫ́ǫ́’.

sun proportionate 1-swim.CI

Shimósí yázhí tsin yąąh dah sidáago hádésh’na’ ńt’éé’ ’áłt’ąą hadanáálwod.

1-cat little tree 3-on up 3-sit.SPN-GO 1-climb.P but after.all 3-run.down.P

Shizhé’é mósí néidiiłts’in ńt’éé’ biyaa haalwodgo ná’ádoolts’in.

1-father cat 3-3-act.with.fist.P past 3-under 3-go.P-GO REFL-3-act.with.fist.P
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My father was going to hit the cat with his fist but it ran out from under him and he hit himself.

Shį́įhgo, doo haigo sin hadidii’áał da.

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

T’áadoo hadahooł’áhí.

neg pl-3s-2dpl-make.noise.NP-Í

T’áá ká ’ooshháásh lágo.

neg 1-go.to.sleep.O LÁGO

Tooh ńłínígíí ha’naa shił ’adeeshdloozh ńt’éé’ łį́į́’ shił deezgo’

water river areal-across 1-with 3-move.P past horse 1-with 3-fall.P
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I started to ride across the river when the horse fell with me.

Tsinaabąąs bikáá’dę́ę́’ t’áá ’ałkéé’ ’adahaago’ ndeii’néego.

wagon 3-top-from just one-after-another down-1Pl-fall.P 3Pl-play.CI-GO.CI

Tsé dzídzahashníiłgo baa naashá, daniidoiigo táchééh góne’ yah ’adoo’nił biniiye.

rock into.fire-3-1-put.P-GO 1-go.I 3-become.hot.P-GO sweathouse into in 3-PASS.put.PlO.F 3-because
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I’m busy putting stones into the fire, to be taken into the sweathouse when they get hot.

Tł’óodi didíłjeeh.

outside 3-2-start.fire.I

Yóó’ ’anáháshyeed.

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

Łáháda ’ach’íí’ náshdį́į́h.

now.and.then rolled.intestine 1-eat.R