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

ʼAshiiké chahashʼoh ʼádeidoolííł, ʼatsʼos bee ʼazhish biniiyé.

boy-pl shade-house 3-3-pl-build.F feather 3-means-of dance 3-reason

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó dichin shi’niiłhį́.

morning-past NEG 1-eat.P-NEG.GO because soon hunger 1-3-kill.P

’Ashkiísh ’at’ééd yiyiiłtsą́?

boy-Q girl 3-3-see.P
listenloadingplaying

Did the boy see the girl?

’Ámá chaha’oh yiyaagi sidáago dádíníigaazh ’íílééh.

INDEF.mother brush.arber 3-under-at 3-sitting.SPN-GO frybread 3-3-make.I

The mother is sitting under the shade structure making frybread.

’Áłtsé baa nitsídadiikos ’áko shį́į́ ’índa bik’i nidadii’nił.

first about 3-3.think.F then only 3-3pl.record.I
listenloadingplaying

Think first about it and only then we’ll record it.

-iih

-íniiká

-jí

Béésh náábał dóó haa nízahdi nighan?

windmill and how 3-long.N-at 2-home
listenloadingplaying

How far is your place from the windmill?

bik’ídídis

3DO-2-wrap.it.around.it.I

ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’

Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Diné Bizaad naalkaah doo sh bééhózin da. K’ad éí t’áá shxǫǫd sh báá hózin.

formerly Navajo language research NEG 1-with 3-of ho-know.CI NEG | now TOP luckily 1-with 3-about-ho-know.CI

Chidí naat’a’íísh hooghan yikáá’góó ch’ét’a’ doodaii’ dził bąąhgóósh ch’ét’a’?

airplane-Q hogan 3-over-along 3-fly.P or mountain 3-side-along-Q 3-fly.P

Chidí 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.P

dadíníilkaad

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

Dah díníilghaazhísh ’íilnilaa?

fry.bread-Q 3-2-make.P

Damóogo ’áłah ’aleeh ’áko ’áadi nihaadíínááł.

Sunday 3-gather 3-be so there-at 1-Pl-to-2-arrive.F

daoohdlą́ą́’

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

didazhdííłjéé’

pl-3DO-4dpl-start.fire.P

diilyį́į́h

3DO-1dpl-melt.it.I

doozhǫǫgo

listenloadingplaying

acceptable, satisfactory, decent

Dzi’izí bikee’ náásxis nít’éé’ bił daalkaałí baa’íí’á.

bicycle 3-tire 3-3-turn.Prog past nail 3-into-3-extend.NP

Gólízhii dégo dasidoo’į́įgo da’oołzhish nỉ.

skunk up-GO pl-3-look.I-GO pl-3-dpl-dance.I
listenloadingplaying

Skunk said, all of you,look up and dance.

Ha’át’íí lá neidiyoołnih lá?

what DISC 3-3-buy.F DISC

haa néelą́ą́’

listenloadingplaying

how much, how many, what quantity. [mass]

haa nízah nináhálzhishgo shą’

listenloadingplaying

‘how often’, what span of time

hadanołchaad

pl-3DO-2dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).I

hadazhdééłbįįd

pl-3DO-4dpl-fill.something.up.with.it.P

hadazhneeshchaad

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

hadoołtééł

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

hadííłtééł

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

hah

listenloadingplaying

fast, quick

Hahgo Jáan hooghan ’íílééh?

When John hogan 3-3-make.F
listenloadingplaying

When will John build a hogan?

Háí lá sis łigai ’áyiił’įįh

who-Q belt silver 3-3-make.U

Hooghangóó nikéédeeshdááł nisin ndi ółta’di ’éí náshiilkááh.

home-toward 1-go.F 1-want.NI but school-at there 1-spend.night.N CHECK VERB GLOSSES

Háá’íshą’. ’Ákǫ́ǫ́ dílyeed!

what-Q there 2-run.F

Kǫ́ǫ́ ts’iilzéí ninohníił le’.

here trash 3-2-du-put.F hope
listenloadingplaying

Don't put your trash here.

Na’nízhoozhídę́ę́’ shíká bił ’oolwoł.

Gallup 1-for 3-with 3-drive.I

Na’nízhoozhídi Naasht’éshí ’Atsá’jí yee nááda’alzhish.

gallup.at Zuni.people eagle-way 3-with again-pl-3-dance.R

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
listenloadingplaying

Thinking that the trading post would not be closed I rushed (to get there), but I was out of luck.

Nichidí lá háadi nííníłbą́ą́z?

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

Nizhé’é ha’át’íísh nayiisnii’?

2-father what-Q 3-3-buy.P

Nił hǫ́zhǫ́ǫ́sh doodaii’ doósh nił hózhǫ́ǫ da?

2-with-happy.NI-Q or neg-Q 2-with happy.NI neg

Níwe, naaltsoosgo yee' baa nitsíníkees!

stop paper-GO really 3-with 3-2-think.I
listenloadingplaying

Stop, think about the paper!

Sháahsita’gi yihę́ęsgo tsin-ts’ósí bee yích’id.

1-point.between.shoulder.blades 3-itch.I-GO stick 3-with 3-1-scratch.P
listenloadingplaying

When I got an itch between my shoulder blades, I scratched it with a stick.

Shikéédę́ę́’ naa hodoolzhish.

1-behind-from 2-passing become.F

Shizhé’é bidá’ák’eh shicheii bidá’ák’eh táadi yilááh ’ánáníłtso.

1-father 3-field 1-grandfather 3-field three-at 3-beyond 3-again-big.NI
listenloadingplaying

My father’s farm is three times as big as my grandfather’s.

Shínaaí chidí b dah diilwodgo bizánághah góne’ łeezh ’adzíísi’.

older.brother car 3-with up 3-run.I-GO 3-around areal-in dust 3-trail.P
listenloadingplaying

When my older brother started off in the car he left a trail of dust around the corner.

Tó bee naat’ahí yę́ę bitł’áahdi yiichxii’ lá.

water canteen past 3-under-at 3-rust.P DISC
listenloadingplaying

The water canteen has gotten rusty on the bottom.

Ániid iiyą́ą́ ’áko ndi t’ah dichin nisin.

Recently 1-eat.P even then still 3-hungry 1-want.NI