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 ’atah ’adishdiłgo ’i’íí’ą́.

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

’Azhą́ deesk’aaz ndi t’áá ’ákwíí jį́ na’nishkaad.

even. though 3-cold.SPN but just every day 1-herd CI

’áádóó

CONJ

’Át’ahígo da’diidį́į́ł.

soon pl-’-1dpl-eat.F
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We’ll eat pretty soon.

’áłt’ąą

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after all, in spite of that, “darn if”, unfortunately

’Ólta’di ’áłchíní binaashii sédáago ’ííníshta’.

school-at children 3-across.from 1-sit.SNP 3-read.NI

-dę́ę́’

Béésh náábał dóó haa nízahdi nighan?

windmill and how 3-long.N-at 2-home
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How far is your place from the windmill?

Ch’ééh jiyáán hooghangóó dah dii’ągo shee nikihoníłt.

watermelon home-toward up 3-1-move.SRO.P 1-with area-start-rain.P
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When I set out for home with the melon it started to rain on me.

Da’adánídi ’áts’ą́ą́’ deeshghał.

restaurant-at ribs 3-1-eat.F

deidooyį́į́ł

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

Dibé bighan báátis dah yiishte’.

Sheep corral 3-over up 1-climb.P

didideeshjah

3DO-1-start.fire.F

didíníilkał

3DO-1dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).F

dizhdínóołkał

3DO-4-start.to.herd.them.(animals).F

Díí hastiin tł’ééjí hataałgo bee béého’doolzįįd.

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This man became famous as a Night Chant singer.

Ha’át’íí biniinaa náníldzid?

what 3-cause 2-fear.I

Haa níníłnééz?

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

Haa’ísh neezgai?

where-Q 3-hurt.N
listenloadingplaying

Where does it hurt?

hadééłbįįd

3DO-1-fill.something.up.with.it.P

Hatáaldi 'iikááh 'atah 'ajóle’.

ceremony-at sandpainting among 4-make.O
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One wants to take part in the sandpainting at the ceremony.

Hazhó’ó nidahísóotą́.

still pl-2dpl-sit.pl.P

háagi

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

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

Hodíína’go ch’í’deeshnił.

later.GO out.animals.F
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I’ll take out the animals soon.

Jáan naalnishísh?

John 3-work.I-Q

K’ad shį́į́ deesk’aaz hodooleeł.

now probably cold area-become.F
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Now it will probably turn cold.

naa

listenloadingplaying

across, crosswise on

Neeznáadigóó ’oolkiłgo ’áłah ’aleeh daaní.

ten.at-toward time-GO meeting pl-4-say.NI

Nichidí háadish nííníłbą́ą́z?

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

Nichxǫ' doo ájít’į́į da.

stop NEG 4-act.thus.I NEG
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Stop, don’t do it!

Nichxǫ' t'áadoo baa nánít’íní.

stop NEG 3-about 2-bother.I-Í
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Stop, don’t bother it!

Nizhé’é ha’át’íísh nahideeshnih nízin.

2-father-Q what 3-1-buy.F 3-want.NI

Níwe, k’ídíítih!

stop 3-2-break.SSO.I
listenloadingplaying

Stop, you're going to break it!

Ronshą’ saadísh neiiłkaah?

Ron-Q word-Q 3-3-investigate.I

What about Ron, is he investigating words? / Is Ron studying words (too)?

Sha’ałchíní ayóó niłch’í naalkídi deineł’į́ ’áko ndi shí éí shináá bąą adin.

1-children very air 3-move.I 3-3.look.I however I 1-eyes 3-on doesn’t exist.

She’abe’ sits’ą́ą́’ wóódlą́ą́’ lágo.

1-milk 1-from 3-2-drink.O LÁGO

Shi’dizhchį́į́ yęędą́ą́’ ’éí tsinaabąąs dahólǫ́ nt’éé.

1-pass-born.P past TOP wagon 3-with pl-3-drive.I pl-be.NI past
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Wagons were around during the time I was born.

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.

Shiyáázh nízaadi naalnishgo bídin sélį́į́’.

1-son far-at 3-work-GO 3-lack 1-be.SPN

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.

Shį́įgo ch’ééh jiyáán yishį́į́h ’áádóó tó lą’í yishdlį́į́h.

summer-GO watermelon 3-1-eat.U and.then water lots 3-1-drink.U

Shoo sitsóí, da’ Na’nízhoozhigóó n ’adeeswod?

hey 1-grandson Q Gallup-to 2-with 2-go.F

Sohodizingo t’áá ká nídoó’nééh lágo.

prayer-GO neg 2-get.up.O LÁGO

T’áá ch’ééh ’ásht’į́įgo bįįh biyaaghah ’eelwod.

just in.vain 1-act.NI-GO deer 3-around.corner 3- run.away.P
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I was still trying (to get a bead) when the deer went around a corner and disappeared.

T’ááłáhádi kin binída’shiilzhiizh dóó hooghangóó dah ńdiikai.

once-at house 3-into-Pl-1dpl-dance.P home-toward start start-1dpl-go.pl.P

Tł’ée’go shibee ni’dildlaadí bóhosésa’go ch’ééh ’ádináhweessił.

night-GO 1-flashlight 3-1-miss.P-GO in.vain reflex-around-1-grope.Prog
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When I missed my flashlight at night I groped around myself.

yah

listenloadingplaying

in, inside (a spacious chamber, as a room, burrow, cavern, building, mouth)

Łį́į́’ ’áhidiníłnáago sizį́.

horse Recip-3-opposite-GO 3-du-stand.SPN
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The horses stand facing in opposite directions.

–gi ’át’éego

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