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’ shá bíighah kintahdi tádísháahgo shee ’i’íí’ą́.

yesterday sun proportionate town-at 1-go.about.Prog-GO 1-on 3-sun.went.down.P

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó sitsiits’iin díínii’.

morning-past neg 1-eat.P-GO.NEG because soon 1-head 3-ache.P

’Azhą́ hasistih ndi ’ayóo ’eesh’į́.

even.though 1-be.old.P even.though very 3-1-see.Prog

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ ’ayóo nahałtin ńt’éé’.

long.ago very areal-rain.I past
listenloadingplaying

It used to rain a lot.

’ałk’idídą́ą́’

listenloadingplaying

quite some time ago, quite a long time ago

’ániidígo

listenloadingplaying

recently, not long ago

’át’ahígo

listenloadingplaying

shortly, soon, in a little while

Hágoónee’, béeso shaa ní’aah.

well money 1-for 2-give.SRO.I
listenloadingplaying

Well, all right then, give me a dollar!

’Íhoo’aah ’ayóo bidziil.

education very 3-strong.I

-go

listenloadingplaying

verb followed by subordinating enclitic –go

Awéé’ doo ndó’ yidlóoh da.

baby NEG NDO’ 3-cold.I NEG

listenloadingplayingSpeaker: Dana DesideriolistenloadingplayingSpeaker: Sharon J. Nelson

The baby isn’t even cold.

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

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

Ch’į́į́góó baa ntséskees.

fail 3-about 1-think.I
listenloadingplaying

I think about it (from many angles) without success (as in trying to hit upon a practical solution for a problem).

Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Diné Bizaad naalkaah doo sh bééhózin da. K’ad éí t’áá shxǫǫd sh báá hózin.

formerly Navajo language research NEG 1-with 3-of ho-know.CI NEG | now TOP luckily 1-with 3-about-ho-know.CI

Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Na’nízhoozhídi kééhasht’į́ ńt’éé’.

formerly Gallup-at 1-live.I past
listenloadingplaying

I used to live in Gallup. I lived formerly in Gallup.                                                                                                                                                              

Chidí ’anáshdlééh, háálá doo naalnish da.

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

Chidí bitooʼ ʼásdįįdgo doo diitsʼį́į da dooleeł.

truck 3-gas 3-exhaust.NP-GO NEG 3-start.I NEG 3-become.F
listenloadingplaying

If the truck runs out of gas, it will not start.

deigo

listenloadingplaying

up, upward, up in the air

Dichin bik’ee doo bííchįįd da.

hunger 3-account neg 3-become.hopeless.P neg
listenloadingplaying

On account of famine conditions have become hopeless.

Díí chidí ’ayóo dilwo’ ha’ní ’áko ndi doo baa jííníshłíi da.

this car very 3-fast 3-say.P CONJ NEG 3-about 4-1-rely.P NEG

Doo t’áá k’ad chidí na’ní’ą́ą da.

NEG just now vehicle 2-3-1-lend.P NEG
listenloadingplaying

I don’t want to lend you a car.

Dzi’izí bikee’ náásxis nít’éé’ bił daalkaałí baa’íí’á.

bicycle 3-tire 3-3-turn.Prog past nail 3-into-3-extend.NP

Ha’a’aahgo doo jiztįį da, johonaa’ai hwił ołtáh jíní.

sunrise-GO NEG 4-lay.O NEG, sun 4-with count 4-say.I
listenloadingplaying

Do not lay after the sun rises, the sun will count you in with the dead.

Halah doo bííghah jiztį́į da.

opposite.sibling NEG 3-beside 4-lay.O NEG
listenloadingplaying

Do not lay beside your brother or sister.

Hádą́ą́’ ’áłtsé chidí naat’a’í n nast’a’?

When past first airplane 2-with 3-fly.P

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

now wash down water up 3-rise.Prog
listenloadingplaying

The water’s rising now down in the wash.

K’ad shį́į́ deesk’aaz hodooleeł.

now probably cold area-become.F
listenloadingplaying

Now it will probably turn cold.

k’adę́ę

listenloadingplaying

nearly, almost

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

now noon hunger 3-account 1-among 1-shake.R
listenloadingplaying

When it is nearly noon, I get shaky from hunger.

Kintah góyaa yishááł ńt’éé’ béeso ńdiiłtsooz

areal-down 1-go.Prog past money 3-1-pick.FFO.P

Kʼadí! Tʼáadoo tʼóó ’ííyį́į̨́łí.

stop NEG just 2-eat.Prog-í

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

Nida’iilyéego ’áłt’ąą yiską́ągo ’índanááł doo.

pass.pay.I-go after.all tomorrow only.then 2-come.Prog future

Níwe, doo tł’ée’go ’ízdísooł da!

stop NEG outside-GO 4-whistle.I NEG
listenloadingplaying

Stop, one does not whistle at night!

Shinaaí ła’í ndi chizh t’áadoo ła’ yaah ayiitą́ą da.

1-older.brother not.even.one but firewood just-NEG some directional-3-3-gather.P NEG.

Shizhé’éésh łį́į́’ yiyííshǫǫdę́ę ’ayóó ’eelwod?

1-father horse-Q 3-3-tame.P-COMP.past really 3-run.away.P

Shínaaí łahda b náhoniidoh.

1-older.brother sometime 3-with 3-become.warm.R
listenloadingplaying

My older brother gets drunk sometimes.

Sohodizingo t’áá ká nídoó’nééh lágo.

prayer-GO neg 2-get.up.O LÁGO

T’ah ’ałk’idídą́ą́’ ’éí Diné tát’áá góyaa kéédahat’íinii t’éiyá díí tábąąhgóó bidáda’ak’eh naaznil ńt’éé’.

still quite.long.ago the people water-near areal-down pl-3-reside.NI-NOM only this water-edge-toward farm 3-lie.PlO.SPN past

T’áadoo naaltsoos dayínółta’í.

neg book pl-3-2dpl-read.I-Í

T’áá shǫǫ t’áadoo chidí bitoo’ nihits’ą́ą́’ ’asdįįd da.

just good NEG car 3.poss-gas 1pl-away 3-dwindle.P NEG

Tsinaabąąs bikáádę́ę́’ ’adaashááh nt’éé shitł’aakał ’íízǫ́ǫ́z.

wagon 3-from downward-1-go.I past 1-skirt 3o-1-tear.P

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

Tł’óodi didíłjeeh.

outside 3-2-start.fire.I

Yá’át’éehgo yínááł.

be.good.I-GO 2-go.sg.Prog
listenloadingplaying

You are walking well.

Yiską́ągo nighandi naadeeshááł.

tomorrow 2-home-at 2-to-1-go.F

Yiską́ągo Na’nízhoozhídi, háádish ’adeeshį́į́ł ninízin?

tomorrow Gallup-at where-Q 2-eat.F 2-want.CI

Yílk’idę́ę́’ télii ła’ ’adah náádáałgo yiiltsą́.

hill-from donkey INDEF down 3-return.Prog 3-1du-see.P

Łį́į́’ bik’i dah ’ashishnííł.

horse 3-on up 3-1-saddle.I