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

’Ach’íí’ ła’ deeshį́į́ł.

rolled.intestine some 1-eat.F
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I will eat rolled intestines now and then.

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

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

’Amásání léi’ dibé yázhí yootééł.

grandmother INDEF sheep little 3-3-carry.AnO.Prog

’Ayóo deesk’aazgo beeldléí ditánígíí biih násh’nah.

very cold-GO blanket 3-thick.NI-ÍGÍÍ 3-into 1-crawl.R

’azhą́ndi

’Áłtsé biba’ dooleeł ’áko shį́į́ ’índa nihił dah adidoolwoł.

first 3.for will until then only 1.with start 3-drive.F

-káá’

Beeldléí danołtsóós.

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

Ch’iyáán nináhíłnihgo haa nízahjį’ ’ánádįįh?

food 3-2-buy.R how 3-long.N-up.to 3-become.none.R

Chidí bitooʼ ʼásdįįdgo doo diitsʼį́į da dooleeł.

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

listenloadingplayingSpeaker: Jacob LargolistenloadingplayingSpeaker: Wallace Dale

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

Chizh ła’ yah ’aníjááh.

firewood some in 2-bring.I

Dii éé’ shił nizhónígo nahideeshniih nisin nt’éé’ ’áko ndi ayóo ilį́į́ lá.

this clothing 1-with 3-like-GO 3-1-buy.F 1-think.Cl Past even then very 3-expensive Disc

Díí na’ach’ąąhígíí baa hashne’ dooleeł.

TOP 3-picture.I-ÍGÍÍ 3-of 1-tell.CI 3-be.F

I will talk about this picture.

Díí yiską́ągo ’íídííłtah.

this tomorrow 3-2-read.F

Dlǫ́ǫ́’ ’akǫ́ǫ́ náájilwod.

Prairie Dog LOC-there It. 4-2-run.I
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The Prairie Dog went over there.

Gowééh ła’ ’ádá dooshkááł laanaa.

coffee one for.self pl.3-1-handle.OC.O wish
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I wish I had a cup of coffee.

Ha’át’éegosh náníldzid?

why-Q 2-fear.I

Haa níníłnééz?

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

hadííłtééł

3DO-2-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.F

Háadi lá łį́į́’ naakai?

where-at Q horse 3dpl-walk.I

Hooghan ’adeeshłííł ndi tsineheeshjíí’ shee ’ádin.

hogan 1-build.F but lumber 1-with 3-none.NI

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

now wash area-down water up 3-move.Prog
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The water level is rising now down the wash.

Kin Łánídi naashnish háálá ’áadi shaghan.

Flagstaff 1-work.I because there 1-live.NI

lá

Mary bimá sání yá ’ata’ halne’.

Mary 3-grandmother 3-for indef.between 3-talk.DI

Mósí yázhí bimá yits’ą́ą́’ yóó’ííyá.

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

Na’nííshee’ dóó k’ad éí dah ’iishtł’ó.

3-1-warp.P and now TOP up 3-1-tie.DI
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I prepared the warp and now I’m putting it up.

Nichidí háadish nííníłbą́ą́z?

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

Nidlóóhísh doodaii’ doo daats’í nidlóoh da?

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

Nihizaad ’índa bik’i’diishtį́į́h ndi k’ad bee yashtí’ łeh.

1du-language until.now 3-1-understand.I but now 3-by.means.of 1-talk.DI usually

Until now I understand our language, but now I can speak it usually.

Níwe, doo hastóí baa níjít’į́į da!

stop NEG men 3-with 3-4-bother.I NEG
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Stop, one does not bother men!

Shiyáázh Damóogo ’índa ’áádę́ę́’ nídeesdzá

1-son Sunday.GO will.be from 2-returning.F
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My son will be returning on Sunday.

Shił naa’aash shį́į́! T’áá shǫǫdí shaná’níłtsóód!

1-with 3-go.dl.CI maybe please 1-to-back-3-2-feed.I
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Oh, my cousin! Please give me (some of) the food back!

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

I contrary only English 3-language 1-with 3-know.P

Shíká ’anánílwo’ doodago’ t’áadoo shaa nánít’į́ní!

1-after indef-help.R or just-neg 1-about 1-2-bother.NI-neg

Sitsóóké da’ółta’go t’óó bik’iisdził.

1-grandchildren pl-school-GO just 3-1-support.Prog

T’ahdoo ’ashdladí ’aleeh da.

NEG five-at happen NEG
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It’s not 5 o’clock yet.

T’áadoo yaa nidanoht’áhí.

NEG down pl-3-2dpl-put.SRO.I-Í

T’áá ’ákwíízhíní tó dah siyínígóó ’ałnánáshdááh.

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

t’áá ’íiyisíí

t’éiyá

listenloadingplaying

only

Táá’ daats’í shinááhaigo Hwéeldi hoolyéégóó sh dah ’adiiná níigo halne’ łeh shicheii.

three maybe 1-year.P-GO Fort.Sumner areal-be.called-toward 1-with start.off 3-migrate.P 3-say.NI-GO
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As my grandfather tells it, he was about three years old when he started off with the family on the move to Fort Sumner.

yiigish

3DO-1dpl-make.one.cut.in.it.I

Yiską́ągo Bee’eldííldahsinilgóó ’adeesdee’.

tomorrow Albuquerque-to 4-PL.underway.F
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Tomorrow, they will be on their way to Albuquerque.

yiyííyą́ą́’

3DO-3-eat.it.P

Yiłką́ą́dą́ą́’ n’diish’na áádóó ’olta’goo dah diiyá. (YM 1987:764)

Dawn.last 1-got.up and school.GOO off.to 1-walk.P
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At dawn, I got up and took off for school.