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’ hashbį’go baa nídiisdzá ’ákondi t’áadoo ’áłtso da.
morning-past 1-clear.I-GO 3-for 1-start.P however but not-yet all NEGEven though I started clearing the land this morning I didn’t finish.
bookmark- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- hashbį’ clear the landfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńdiishdááh startfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ahbínídą́ą́’ this morning
- -dą́ą́’ past timefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- time
- -aa tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- goal
’Ajótł’óół laanaa nissin ndi ’aghaa’ shee ’ádin.
4-weave.O hope 3-1-want.CI but wool 3-1-with.me 3-none.NI’ałdó’
’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
-káá’
Bee’eldííldahsinil kintahdi shił ’oolwoł ńt’éé’ tsístł’ahazt’i’ léi’ góne’ shił ’o’oolwod.
Albuquerque town-at 1-with 3-run.Prog past deadend a areal-in 1-with 3-drive.PI was riding around in Albuquerque when I drove into a dead end street.
bookmark- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- transportation
- Progressive (Prog)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishwoł run alongfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ relates to past time
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’oolwoł drivefind in Navajo Verb Modes
Bilagáana ła’ níhit’ááh dookah jiní.
Anglo some 1Pl-close.to 3-go.Pl.F 4-say.NICh’ééh jiyáán náánááshdą́ą́’.
watermelon again-1-eat.RCh’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Na’nízhoozhídi kééhasht’į́ ńt’éé’.
formerly Gallup-at 1-live.I pastChidí kǫ́ǫ́ ndaajeehígíí t’áá ’ániidígo dahodeezlįįd.
car here 3-run.pl.I-COMP just recently pl-3-become.PDichin bik’ee doo bííchįįd da.
hunger 3-account neg 3-become.hopeless.P negdidazhdííłjéé’
pl-3DO-4dpl-start.fire.Pdidiilyįh
3DO-1dpl-melt.it.Fdidoołjéé’
3DO-2dpl-start.fire.Pdiidiłjeeh
3DO-3-start.fire.IDiné bikéyah bikáa’gi ndahonidzood yę́ędą́ą́’ Naatsis’áán hoolyéégóó 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.PAt the time people were on the run in Navajoland, fleeing in small groups, we sneaked away with our children one group after another, to Navajo Mountain.
bookmark- -káá’ on, on top offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -gi atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yę́ędą́ą́’ pastfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- accompaniment
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
díníłkaad
3DO-2-start.to.herd.them.(animals).Istart to herd them (animals), 2nd person singular
bookmarkhaniilchaad
3DO-1dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).IHái da shą’ tsinaa’eeł ’ájiilaa lá?
who DA Q boat 3-4-make.P DISCjidoołbish
3DO-4-boil.it.FKintah góyaa yishááł ńt’éé’ béeso ńdiiłtsooz
areal-down 1-go.Prog past money 3-1-pick.FFO.PKinŁánídi ’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 discNichidí lá háadi nííníłbą́ą́z?
2-car-Q where-at 3-2-park.PAs for your car, where did you park it?
bookmarknidasoołkáá’
pl-3DO-2dpl-investigate.it.PNihimásání ha’át’íí lá yinízin?
1dpl-grandmother what LÁ 3-3-want.NInisiilyá
3DO-1dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Pcarry a ropelike thing around, 1st person dual
bookmarkNizhe’é ha’át’íísh yaa naaghá?
2-father what-Q 3-about 3-do.CISha’áłchíní Toohgóó bił ’eesbąs.
1-children Shiprock-to 3-with 1-drive.ProgShichá si’ą́ągo ’iiłhaazh.
1-huddle 3-put-SPN-GO 1-sleep.PShicheii haastihgo łáháda ninálnish.
1-grandfather 3-become.old.P-GO seldom 3-work.RShidibé ’ąą’ dinót’į́į́ł laanaa ch’ééh nisin.
1-sheep expanse 3-increase.O wish in.vain 1-want.CIShikéédę́ę́’ naa hodoolzhish.
1-behind-from 2-passing become.FShilééchąą’í sitsijį’ yilwoł.
1-dog 1-ahead-to 3-run.IShilééchąą’í yázhí táa’go tsásk’eh yiyaa ’ahííjéé’.
1-dog small three-comp bed 3-under 3-lie.pl.NPShilį́į́’ tł’aaká’ii dóó shilį́į́’ biyéél bił tsodizin ’íishłaa.
1-appaloosa and 1-horse 3-saddle 3-with prayer 3-1-make.PTooh ńlínígíí ha’naa shił ’adeezbą́ą́z ńt’éé’ tsinaabąąs nihits’ą́ą́’ k’é’éłtǫ’.
water river areal-across 1-with 3-drive.P past wagon 2dpl-away 3-break.PTs’aa’ t’áá nitsaaígíí bídin nishłį́.
basket just 3-large.NI-nom 3-lack 1-be.NITsinaabąąs bee nida’abąąsgo shi’dizhchį́.
wagon 3-with pl-3-drive.I-GO 1-pass-born.PTsxį́įłgo łees’áán ádíílííł; nimásání nihaa yíghááh!
quickly tortilla 2-make.F 2.poss-mat.grandma-NOM 1.pl-to 3-come.Fwoołhį́į́’
3DO-2dpl-melt.it.(snow).Pyiilyį́į́’
3DO-1dpl-melt.it.(snow).PYiską́ągo Na’nízhígóó deet’áazhgo haa’í lá ’adiidį́į́ł?
tomorrow Gallup-to 1dpl-go.du.F-GO where Q 1pdl-eat.FWhen we go to Gallup tomorrow, where shall we eat?
bookmark- yiską́ągo tomorrow
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -go verb and subordinating enclitic
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- déyá start to gofind in Navajo Verb Modes
- haa’í wherefind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- lá particle for content questionsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashą́ eatfind in Navajo Verb Modes