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 noonYesterday were you working outside up to noon?
bookmark- -ísh enclitic for yes/no questionsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- naashnish workfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ałní’ní’ą́ noon
- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -ee by means offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- instrumental
’ayóí
’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.FWill you go to the Chapter meeting in person or watch on the computer or will you stay home and listen to KTNN?
bookmark- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- déyá start to gofind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- doodago orfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- -ísh enclitic for yes/no questionsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- daats’í maybe, perhaps, possibly
- -ee by means offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
’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 NEGI didn’t say anything because I thought I might get myself into trouble.
bookmark- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ádihodiisht’ééh get oneself into troublefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- sha’shin perhaps
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- t’áadoo not
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrases
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- haasdziih speak, exclaimfind in Navajo Verb Modes
’ániidígo
’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.FAt’ééd na’abąąs yíhooł’ą́ą’go bimá yił ’oołbąs.
girl driving 3-3-learn.P-GO 3-mother 3-with 3-drive.ProgBikáá’ dah ’asdáhí bikáa’gi doodaai’ ni’góó daats’í nishdaah?
chair 3-top-at or floor-on perhaps 1-sit.NICh’ééh déyáago hooghangóó nááshdááł.
in.vain 1-go.sg.P-GO home-to 1-return.ProgI am tired and I’m on my way home.
bookmark- ch’ééh in vain, futilely, try
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- déyá gofind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -go verb and subordinating enclitic
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Progressive (Prog)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nááshdááł return, go backfind in Navajo Verb Modes
Chidí kǫ́ǫ́ ndaajeehígíí t’áá ’ániidígo dahodeezlįįd.
car here 3-run.pl.I-COMP just recently pl-3-become.PChidí naat’a’í nihił dah diit’a’.
airplane 1dpl-with up 3-fly.PChidí 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.PDah doónááł lágo!
up 2-go.F don’tDeenásts’aa’ shił 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.PDoo ’áłah dadiidleeł da.
NEG together pl-1dpl-meet.pl.F NEGDoo ’áłah diidleeł da.
NEG together pl-1dpl-meet.pl.F NEGDoo ’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.PDoo choshijooł’į́į́’ le’ ’át’éégóó shił hóyéé’.
NEG 3-1-make.use.O proof.against-NEG 1-with lazy.NIDoo deighánígóó łeeyi’ ’azhnígeed.
NEG far ground-inside 3-4-dig.PDoo hanii kintahgóó díníyáa da nisin.
NEG contrary town-toward 2-start.go.P NEG 1-think.CIDoo t’áá k’ad chidí na’ní’ą́ą da.
NEG just now vehicle 2-3-1-lend.P NEGGohwééh ’áłdó’ nahideeshnih nisinée beesénah lá.
coffee also 3-1-buy.F 1-want.NI-past 3-1-forget.P DISCHak’az ’ayóo bich’į’ sidziil.
cold really 3-towards 1-strengthHastiin nééz doondó’ ndi ’alzhish da.
man tall NEG but 3-dance.DI NEGK’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 NEGI could have been halfway through weaving, but last week I didn’t weave at all.
bookmark- Progressive (Prog)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashtł’ó weavefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashtł’ó weavefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- k’ad now
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- goal
- -dą́ą́’ past timefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- time
- yę́ędą́ą́’ pastfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon




