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
’Ahbínídą́ą́’ ch’ééh niba’ hasht’e’ ’ádííníszin.
morning-Past in.vain 2-wait ready REFL-1-keep.CI’Ashkii yázhí ’ayóo hwe’ádílááh.
boy little very 3-mischief’Ayóo łį́į́’ shił naalgeed diní, ’ííshją́ą́shį́į́ díí łį́į́chogii bikáá’ dah ńdaah!
very horse 1-with 3-buck.CI 3-2-say.NI lets.see this stallion 3-on up 2-sit.I’Ayóo łį́į́’ shił naalgeed diní, ’ííshją́ą́shį́į́ díí łį́į́chogii bikáá’ dah ńdaah.
very horse 1-with 3-buck.CI 3-2-say.NI lets.see this stallion 3-on up 2-sit.I’Ałk’idą́ą́’ ’éiyá naadą́ą́’ ’ayóo k’éédadiilyééh nít’éé’.
long.ago TOP corn very pl-3-1dpl-plant.R past’Eii łééchą̨ą’í t’áá ’áko taah yilwo’.
that dog immediately water.into 3-run.U’Oółháásh lágo.
2-sleep.O don’tCh’į́į́góó baa ntséskees.
fail 3-about 1-think.ICh’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Bilagáanaa Bizaad doo diists’a’ da. K’ad ’éí t’áá shxǫǫ t’áá bee yáshti’.
formerly English neg 1-understand.I neg. Now TOP good.thing barely 3.with 1.speak-IBefore, I didn’t understand English. Now, thankfully, I can speak some.
bookmark- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- diists’a hear, understandfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yáshti’ speakfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ formerly, originally
- -ee by means offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- instrumental
Da’ ’áájí ’ałdó’ ’áłah ’azlį́į́’?
Q that-side also meeting 1-happen.Pde, deg
Dibé ła’ yóó’ ’íínilgo k’adę́ę ’e’e’aahgo ch’ééh bíká naanááshwoł.
sheep some away 3-1-lose.P-GO almost evening in.vain 3-after 1-run.around.PDichin bik’ee doo bííchįįd da.
hunger 3-account neg 3-become.hopeless.P negDíí chidí ’ayóo dilwo’ ha’ní ’áko ndi doo baa jííníshłíi da.
this car very 3-fast 3-say.P CONJ NEG 3-about 4-1-rely.P NEGDíí tł’éé’ t’áá ká dóola dá’ák’eólyeed; dádi’nítįįh.
this night NEG bull into.field-3-run.O hope.not 3-2-close.gate.IDíí yiską́ągo ’íídííłtah.
this tomorrow 3-2-read.FDoo ndó’ daatsaah noolin da.
NEG but 3-be.sick.I 3-resemble.NP NEGDoo yéé chizh yah ’ííjaa’í hooghan shį́į́ ’adííłk’ą́ą́’ nít’éé’.
DOO YÉÉ firewood into 3-1-carry.pl.P-Í hogan probably 3-1-burn.P pastGohwééh doo ndi łikan da.
coffee NEG but 3-taste-good.NI NEGHaidą́ą́’ ’a’áán góne’ naashnish ńt’éé’ --- doo shił yá’áhoot’éeh da.
winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.I past neg 1-with area-good.N negWhile I was working in the mine (shaft) last year and I didn’t like it (inside the place).
bookmark- -dą́ą́’ past timefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -ne’ behindfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- naashnish workfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ relates to past time
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrases
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
Haidą́ą́’ ’a’áán góne’ nishishnish ńt’éé’ --- doo shił yá’áhoot’éeh da.
winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.P past neg 1-with 3-good.N negI worked in the mine (shaft) last year and I didn’t like it.
bookmark- -dą́ą́’ past timefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -ne’ behindfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- naashnish workfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- ńt’éé’ relates to past time
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrases
Hastiin nééz doondó’ ndi ’alzhish da.
man tall NEG but 3-dance.DI NEGHádą́ą́’ ’áłtsé chidí naat’a’í nił nast’a’?
When past first airplane 2-with 3-fly.PHodíínáá’ágo bááh dootł’izhí ła’ deeshį́į́ł.
after.a.while-GO bread blue some 1-eat.FHooghan bikáá’ dah si’ánígíí bíyah da’nii’áago ’ádíílį́į́ł ’áko hooghan doo ’ałhiih nídoołdas da.
hogan 3-on up 3-sit.SPN-ÍGÍÍ 3-under pl-3-extend.NP-GO 3-2-make.F so hogan NEG RECIP-3-collapse.F NEGUse strong pillars to build the hogan so that the roof will not cave in.
bookmark- -káá’ on, on top offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- dah up at an elevation, off, static, holding
- Si-Perfective Neuter (SPN)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -yah under, beneathfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Neuter Perfective (NP)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -go verb and subordinating enclitic
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’áko so, so that, so thenfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrases
K’ad cháshk’eh góyaa tó de ’anool’ąął.
now wash down water up 3-rise.ProgK’ad shį́į́ deesk’aaz hodooleeł.
now probably cold area-become.FK’adę́ę ’ałné’e’áahgo díchin bik’ee shitah ’anahodí’niitłi’.
now noon hunger 3-account 1-among 1-shake.RKʼadí! Tʼáadoo tʼóó ’ííyį́į̨́łí.
stop NEG just 2-eat.Prog-íNaakidi tsin sitą́ądi daats’í kinaaldá bił ’ahééniijéé’.
two mile 3-run.pl.P-at maybe purberty.ceremony 3-with RECIP-1dpl-run.pl.PNáás heesháałgo chidí bine’ ’ííyá.
forward 1-step.Prog-GO car 3-behind 1-go.Pndi --- doo
Nichxǫ' t'áadoo baa nánít’íní.
stop NEG 3-about 2-bother.I-ÍNitsilí ’abínígo tóógóó łį́į́łchíí’ bił ’ałnánáldlosh łeh.
2-brother morning-GO water-to horse-red 3-with 3-go.R usuallyńt’éé’
Shicheii t’áá sáhí ’átsą́ą́’ ’ałtso yoolghal --- doochǫǫł ’át’éego ’ajilghał dooleeł!
1-grandpa just himself rib whole 3-chew.P ridiculous 3-be.NI-GO SER-3-ate.DI FUTShichidí t’ahdii yá’át’ééh, ’át’ah ’índa ła’ ninááhideeshnih.
1-car still 3-good.NI later one again-3-1-buy.FShiníbaal doo tó biníkáogeeh le’ ’át’éégóó ’íishłaa.
1-tent NEG water 3-through-3-flow.O proof.against-NEG 3-1-make.PShizhé’éésh łį́į́’ yiyííshǫǫdę́ę ’ayóó ’eelwod?
1-father horse-Q 3-3-tame.P-COMP.past really 3-run.away.PShínaaí shíká ’adoolwoł nisin ńt’éé’ ’áłt’ąą t’áadoo níyáa da.
1-older.brother 1-for 3-run.F 1-want.NI but after.all NEG 3-come.sg.P NEGI wanted my older brother to help me but unfortunately he didn’t come.
bookmark- -ká after, forfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- benefactive
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishwoł run alongfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ relates to past time
- ’áłt’ąą after all
- t’áadoo not
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrases
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nishááh come, arrivefind in Navajo Verb Modes




