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

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ ch’iyáán ’ ádayiilaa léi’ ła’ ’ánáádeiilyaa.

long.ago food pl-3-3-make.P Indef. some again-pl-3-1dpl-make.P

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ tóniteel bąąhgóó tádííyáhę́ę bénááshnii’.

long.ago ocean 3-beside-along around-1-past 3-1-remember.P

’Áádóó shą’?

and.then Q

’Ąąh háá’á wolyéii k’ad doo ’asht’é’égóó bik’ee ntsinisdzá.

credit 3-call.P now neg extremely.neg 3-on-account-of overwhelm.P

-ch’ijí

-ee

-k’ee

-ká

-tsé

Damóogo nihaa náájídááh.

Sunday.GO us.return 4-again.visit.F
listenloadingplaying

Visit us again on Sunday.

dashoołbéézh

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

deiilyį́į́h

pl-3DO-1dpl-melt.it.(snow).I

deiilzhóó’

pl-3DO-1dpl-brush/comb.it.P

deiyą́

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

Dibé bighan báátis dah yiishte’.

Sheep corral 3-over up 1-climb.P

Dibé yázhí bitsį’ bíchą́ yídéeshni’.

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

Diné bikéyah bikáa’gi ndahonidzood yę́ędą́ą́’ Naatsis’áán hoolyégóó niha’áłchíní bił ’adahineet’į́į́’.

Navajo 3-land 3-on-at pl-areal-3-flee.pl.P past Navajo.Mountain areal-be.called.NI-to 1pl-children 3-with pl-1dpl-sneak.off.P

Díigi ’át’éego yigááł.

this-similar.to 3-walk.Prog
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This is the way he walks.

doo chohoo’į́į́góó

doołbish

3DO-2dpl-boil.it.F

Gohwééh doo ndi łikan da.

coffee NEG but 3-taste-good.NI NEG
listenloadingplaying

The coffee doesn’t even taste good.

Gohwééh nayiisnii’diísh b bééhózin?

coffee 3-3-buy.P-at-Q 3-with 3-know.NI

ha’át’éegi

where (at what particular location)

hadííníłbįįd

3DO-2-fill.something.up.with.it.P

hajiłgéésh

3DO-4-cut.it.out.I

hanííníłchaad

3DO-2-card.it.(as.in.wool).P

hazhnííłchaad

3DO-4-card.it.(as.in.wool).P

háagi

Háágóó lá díníyá?

where-to.Q 2-go.F

Kintah góyaa yishááł ńt’éé’ béeso ńdiiłtsooz

areal-down 1-go.Prog past money 3-1-pick.FFO.P
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I was walking down the street when I found a dollar bill.

KinŁánídi ’ííníshta’ ńt’éé’ ’áádóó t’áá ’ániidígo ’áadi náánísdzáá ńtéé’ ’ééhosisya’ lá.

Flagstaff-in 1-study.P past and.then just recently there-at 1-return.P past 1-get.hazy.P disc
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I was young I went to school in Flagstaff but I returned there recently to find that I’m so hazy about things that I barely recognize the place.

Naalyéhé hooghandi tł’oh hániikai ńt’éé’ ’áníídí yee’ ’ásdįįd lágo ’áadi niikai.

trading.post-at hay 1dpl-go.pl.P past recently very 3-disappear.P DISC-GO there 1dpl-go.pl.P
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We went to the trading post after hay only to find that the supply had just run out.

Nichidí lá háadi nííníłbą́ą́z?

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

Shá bíighah tsiyaa sédáago, shinááł nida’jiłkǫ́ǫ́’.

sun proportionate tree-under 1-sit.SPN-GO 1-watch.CI pl-4-swim.P

Shighandóó ndáá’góó ’ada’iisdee’go nihí ’éí t’áá yiike’.

1-home-from war.ceremony-to 3-go.away.P we.du.pl TOP just 1du-remain.behind.P

Shikee’ ’ániidígo biniinaa shikee’ bąąh tó’diisool.

1-shoe recently because 1-foot 3-on 3-blister.form.P
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Because my shoes are new, they made a water blister on my foot.

Shimá bighangóó náshdáahgo łééchąą’í baná’ástso’.

1-mother 3-house-toward again-1-go-GO dog 3-again-1-feed.R
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Whenever I go to my mother’s house, I feed the dog.

Shí ’éí t’áá naanishdóó kingóó déyá.

I TOP just work-from town-to 1-go.I

Shí t’óó ’ááłk’iis yisháałgo shizhé’é tsékooh gódeg ha’asbą́ą́z.

1 merely SUP-alongside 1-go.Prog-GO 1-father canyon areal-up up-3-drive.P
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My father drove (a wagon) up out of the canyon with me walking alongside.

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.

Sitsóí ’ólta’góó dah diigháahgo ła’ béeso baa yish’ááh.

1-grandchild school-toward up 3-start.to.go.I-GO some money 3-to 3-1-give.SRO.U

Tózis biníká dínísh’į́į́’.

bottle 3-through 1-look.X
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I’m looking through the glass bottle.

Tsé ’ayóí ’áníłtso léi’ tsékooh góyaa hadah ch’ééłmááz.

rock remarkably large INDEF canyon areal-down areal-edge out-3-1-roll.P
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I rolled a big rock over the edge and into the canyon.

wohsą́

3DO-2dpl-eat.it.I

woohgish

3DO-2dpl-make.one.cut.in.it.I

yishbéézh

3DO-3-boil.it.P

yishhį́į́h

3DO-1-melt.it.(snow).I

yiyííyą́ą́’

3DO-3-eat.it.P

yiyííłhį́į́’

3DO-3-melt.it.(snow).P

Ńló bik’ee hooghan góne’ yah ’aniidzood.

hail 3-on.account.of house areal-in 3-in 1Pl-flee.P
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We took refuge from the hail by fleeing into the house.