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
listenloadingplaying

I was all ready and waiting for you all this morning (but you didn’t come), (Lit. in vain I wait for you in readiness).

’Ashkii yázhí ’ayóo hwe’ádílááh.

boy little very 3-mischief
listenloadingplaying

The little boy is very mischievous.

’Ayóo łį́į́’ sh 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
listenloadingplaying

You said you’re good at riding broncos; let’s see you get on this stallion!

’Ayóo łį́į́’ sh 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
listenloadingplaying

You said you’re good at riding broncos; let’s see you get on this stallion!

’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
listenloadingplaying

The dog immediately runs into the water.

’Oółháásh lágo.

2-sleep.O don’t

Ch’į́į́góó baa ntséskees.

fail 3-about 1-think.I
listenloadingplaying

I think about it (from many angles) without success (as in trying to hit upon a practical solution for a problem).

Ch’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-I

Da’ ’áájí ’ałdó’ ’áłah ’azlį́į́’?

Q that-side also meeting 1-happen.P

de, deg

listenloadingplaying

up

Dibé ła’ yóó’ ’íínilgo k’adę́ę ’e’e’aahgo ch’ééh naanááshwoł.

sheep some away 3-1-lose.P-GO almost evening in.vain 3-after 1-run.around.P

Dichin bik’ee doo bííchįįd da.

hunger 3-account neg 3-become.hopeless.P neg
listenloadingplaying

On account of famine conditions have become hopeless.

Díí 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 NEG

Díí tł’éé’ ’iidííłhosh.

this night 2-sleep.F

Díí 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.I
listenloadingplaying

Don’t let the bull get into the field tonight, so close the gate.

Díí yiską́ągo ’íídííłtah.

this tomorrow 3-2-read.F

Doo ndó’ daatsaah noolin da.

NEG but 3-be.sick.I 3-resemble.NP NEG
listenloadingplaying

He doesn’t even look sick (much less act sick).

Doo 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 past

dooshą’ --- lá

Gohwééh doo ndi łikan da.

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

The coffee doesn’t even taste good.

Haidą́ą́’ ’a’áán góne’ naashnish ńt’éé’ --- doo sh yá’áhoot’éeh da.

winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.I past neg 1-with area-good.N neg

Haidą́ą́’ ’a’áán góne’ nishishnish ńt’éé’ --- doo sh yá’áhoot’éeh da.

winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.P past neg 1-with 3-good.N neg

Hastiin nééz doondó’ ndi ’alzhish da.

man tall NEG but 3-dance.DI NEG
listenloadingplaying

The tall man doesn’t even dance.

Hádą́ą́’ ’áłtsé chidí naat’a’í n nast’a’?

When past first airplane 2-with 3-fly.P

Hodíínáá’ágo bááh dootł’izhí ła’ deeshį́į́ł.

after.a.while-GO bread blue some 1-eat.F
listenloadingplaying

In a while, I will eat some blue corn bread.

Hooghan 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 NEG

K’ad cháshk’eh góyaa tó de ’anool’ąął.

now wash down water up 3-rise.Prog
listenloadingplaying

The water’s rising now down in the wash.

K’ad shį́į́ deesk’aaz hodooleeł.

now probably cold area-become.F
listenloadingplaying

Now it will probably turn cold.

K’adę́ę ’ałné’e’áahgo díchin bik’ee shitah ’anahodí’niitłi’.

now noon hunger 3-account 1-among 1-shake.R
listenloadingplaying

When it is nearly noon, I get shaky from hunger.

Kʼadí! Tʼáadoo tʼóó ’ííyį́į̨́łí.

stop NEG just 2-eat.Prog-í

Naakidi tsin sitą́ądi daats’í kinaaldá b ’ahééniijéé’.

two mile 3-run.pl.P-at maybe purberty.ceremony 3-with RECIP-1dpl-run.pl.P
listenloadingplaying

We (pl.) ran about two miles with the girl who was running in the puberty ceremony.

Náás heesháałgo chidí bine’ ’ííyá.

forward 1-step.Prog-GO car 3-behind 1-go.P
listenloadingplaying

I stepped up (and got) behind the car.

ndi --- doo

Nichxǫ' t'áadoo baa nánít’íní.

stop NEG 3-about 2-bother.I-Í

Nitsilí ’abínígo tóógóó łį́į́łchíí’ bił ’ałnánáldlosh łeh.

2-brother morning-GO water-to horse-red 3-with 3-go.R usually

ńt’éé’

listenloadingplaying

relates to past time. Used variously as an adverb, a connective (conjunction), and, with nouns, as an adjective translatable as “former, late, deceased”

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 FUT
listenloadingplaying

My grandfather ate the whole rib section by himself --- it’s absurd to eat like that!

Shichidí t’ahdii yá’át’ééh, ’át’ah ’índa ła’ ninááhideeshnih.

1-car still 3-good.NI later one again-3-1-buy.F

Shiníbaal doo tó biníkáogeeh le’ ’át’éégóó ’íishłaa.

1-tent NEG water 3-through-3-flow.O proof.against-NEG 3-1-make.P

Shizhé’éésh łį́į́’ yiyííshǫǫdę́ę ’ayóó ’eelwod?

1-father horse-Q 3-3-tame.P-COMP.past really 3-run.away.P

Shínaaí 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 NEG

T’áá hooshch’į’ déshnish.

suddenly 1-start.work.P

T’áá ká ’adinoólgháásh lágo.

neg 2-oversleep.O LÁGO

T’áá ká ’ooshháásh lágo.

neg 1-go.to.sleep.O LÁGO

Tooh 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.P
listenloadingplaying

I started to ride across the river (by wagon) but it broke down on us.

Tsxį́įłgo naalkidígíí neeznáá yidziihgo Jóhonaa’éí daolyéii ch’ééh ’iih da’ałne’ nít’éé’ ’áłt’ąą ’ałtso ’o’oolkidgo ’índa ’iih da’asne’.

fast-GO 3-tick-ÍGÍÍ ten 3-remain.I-GO Suns pl-3-call.NI-NMLZ in.vain 3-into pl-3-3-throw.I past until.after all clock-go finally 3-into pl-3-3.throw.P

Tł’óół tsin bigaan binah dah sélá.

rope stick arm 2-against up 3-1-hung.P
listenloadingplaying

I hung the rope over the tree limb.

Yootóodi níyáago shik’éí daostse’ laanaa nisin.

Santa.Fe-at 1-arrive.P-GO 1-relatives 3-1-see.O wish 1-want.CI