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

’Adeesdíilgo dibé sits’ą́ą́’ dah diijéé’.

3-thunder.P-GO sheep 1-away.from start-3-run.Pl.P
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When thunder rumbled the sheep stampeded on me, ran away from me.

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’óó ’ahodiyeeshdláałgo biniinaa ’ólta’di doo hah níyáa da.

morning-past with pretend-1-move.Prog-GO 3-because school-at NEG quickly 1-go.P NEG

’Ashkiísh ’at’ééd yiyiiłtsą́?

boy-Q girl 3-3-see.P
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Did the boy see the girl?

’At’éédísh yiniłtsą́?

girl-Q 3-2-see.P

’Atsiniltł’ish dóó tó dayókeedígíí baa ’áłah ’aleeh lá.

electricity and water pl-3-request.I-NOM 3-for meeting DISC

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ Diné bikéyah bikáa’gi łį́į́’ bichąą bíighahgo tł’oh deíl’áá ńt’éé’ jiní.

long.ago Navajo.land 3-upon-at horse 3-belly sufficient-GO Pl-3-extend.out.of.sight.SNP hearsay
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They say that long ago the grass in the Navajo country was as high as a horse’s belly.

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ Diné bikéyah bikáa’gi łį́į́’ bichąą bíighahgo tł’oh deíl’áá ńt’éé’ jiní.

long.ago Navajo.land 3-upon-at horse 3-belly sufficient-GO Pl-3-extend.out.of.sight.SNP hearsay
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They say that long ago the grass in the Navajo country was as high as a horse’s belly.

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

long.ago grass corn 3-ripen.I-GO horse or cow etc. 4-for 3-stomp.I past
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Long ago when the wheat ripened it was stomped out by horses or cattle.

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

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

-ts’ą́ą́’, -ts’á

Britain bikéyahą́ą t’áá ’ałtso ’ahíi’nilgo kéyah United States wolyéhígíí bilááh ’áníłtsxo ńt’éé’.

Britain 3-land just all 3-combine.P-GO land United States 3-call.NI-COMP 3- greater size past.NI
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All of the territories of Britain put together is larger than the United States.

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

formerly Gallup-at 1-live.I past
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I used to live in Gallup. I lived formerly in Gallup.                                                                                                                                                                        

Chidí naa’na’í ’ayóo bídin nishłį́.

tractor really 3-without 1-be.NI
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I really want a tractor.

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

Chidí naat’a’íísh hooghankáá’góó ch’ínísaal ’éí doodaii’ dziłghąą’góó daats’í?

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

Chidí k’adę́ę yichxǫǫh lágo naháłnii’.

car almost 3-fall-apart.I altered 3-1-buy.P
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I bought a car just as it was about to fall apart.

Da’ chidíísh bee hólǫ́ doodaii’ ni daats’í chidí nee hólǫ́?

Q car-Q 3-with 4-exist.NI or 2 maybe car 2-with 4-exist.NI

Daniel hahgosh hidilníísh?

Daniel when-Q 3-start.work.I

dashoołbéézh

pl-3DO-2dpl-boil.it.P

Deenásts’aa’ sh naaldloosh ńt’éé’ shimá ssiiłtsą́, 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.

Dibé yázhí bitsį’ bíchą́ yídéeshni’.

lamb 3-meat 3-crave 3-addicted.NP

Doo ’ííłta’go biniinaa t’áá ’ałtsojį’ t’áá shídin hazlį́į́’.

neg 1-go.to.school.P-GO 3-because every-up.to just 1-without 1-become.P
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I got left out on everything because I did not go to school.

Doondó’ ’ółta’ da.

NEG 3-go.school.NI NEG
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He doesn’t even go to school.

ha’naa (Ib. tsé’naa)

Ha’át’íí lá nizhé’é yaa naaghá?

what Q 2-father 3-about 3-do.CI

Haa néelą́ą́’ nidá’ák’eh?

how 3-much.N 2-cornfield

Haa níníłnééz?

what 2-tall.relatively.NI
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How tall are you?

háajį’

háádę́ę́’

Háíshą’ tsinaa’eeł ’áyiilaa?

who-Q boat 3-3-make.P

Jooł nits’ą́ą́’ nídiish’aah.

ball 2-away.from up-begin-1-lift.I

Kin Łánídi daats’í ’éí doodago Bee’eldííldahsinildiísh naniná?

Flagstaff-at perhaps or Albuquerque-at-Q 2-go.around.CI

Kin Łánídiísh ’éí doodago Bee’eldííldahsinildi daats’í naniná?

Flagstaff-at-Q TOP or Albuquerque-at perhaps 2-go.around.CI

Mary ha’át’íí nayiisnii’?

Mary what 3-3-buy.P

Mary ha’át’íí nayiisnii’?

Mary what 3-3-buy.P

Mą’iitsoh shik’iilwodgo tsékooh góyaa bidááłgo’.

wolf 1-3-attack-COMP canyon areal-down 3-1-push.P
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When the wolf attacked me I pushed him down into the canyon.

Mósí yázhí bimá yits’ą́ą́’ yóó’ííyá.

kitten 2-mother 3-from away-3-go.P

Na’nízhoozhígóó deeyá, ya’?

Gallup-toward 2-go.sg.F Q

Naalyéhé bá hooghandi t’ah doo dá’deelkaałdą́ą́’ nisingo na’ńle’dii tsį́į́ł shiisxį́ (siisxį́).

trading.post-at just NEG 3-PASS-close.I-past 1-think.N-GO dismay speed 1-3-kill.P
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Thinking that the trading post would not be closed I rushed (to get there), but I was out of luck.

Nidlóóhísh doodaii’ doo daats’í nidlóoh da?

2-cold.I-Q or neg perhaps 2-cold.I neg

niséłkáá’

3DO-1-investigate.it.P

Nizhé’é ha’át’íísh nahideeshnih nízin.

2-father-Q what 3-1-buy.F 3-want.NI
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As for your father, what does he want to buy?

Shimá sání t’áá shídin ’ííyá.

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My grandmother went away without me.

Shí hanii t’éiyá Naasht’ézhí bizaad sh bééhózin.

I contrary only English 3-language 1-wtih 3-know.P
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I’m not the only one who knows Zuni (despite appearances to the contrary).

Shínaaí shikétł’á ’iiyilgo łį́į́’ bikáá’ hasis’na’.

1-older.brother 1-foot-bottom 3-3-boost.P-GO horse 3-top up-1-crawl.P
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My older brother boosted me and I got up on the horse’s back.

Shį́į́dą́ą́’ sitsą́ hodíínii’go k’asdą́ą́’ dasétsą́.

summer-last 1-stomach areal-.hurt.P-GO nearly 1-die.P
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Last summer I nearly died with a pain in my abdomen.

Tó diłhił bá hooghan góne’ sáanii ’ałk’iijée’go hááhgóóshį́į́ jó shí da ’adadanishchidgo sédá.

bar 3-at women RECIP-3-fight.P-GO very instead 1-flinch.I-GO 1-sit.P
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When the women got into a fight in the bar I really had to protect myself as I sat there.

Tó Haach’i’dę́ę́’ ’ííyisíí naashá.

Tohatchi-from truly 1-go.CI

Tsxį́įłgo łees’áán ’ánílééh; nimásání nihaa níyá!

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

Yadiizíní bitł’ááhdę́ę́’ bigháda’shéshiizh.

can 3-under-from 3-through-SUP-1-poke.P