Ndee bizaa
Western Apache
Na-Dené (Athabaskan, Southern)
Western Apache is one of the largest Athabaskan languages, closely related to Navajo. It uses a complex tone system marked with acute accents and has consonant inventory featuring lateral fricatives ɬ and ejective stops.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Western Apache
Water
tu
/tu/
Fire
kǫʼ
/kṍʔ/
Sun
shándaʼá
/ʃándaːʔá/
Moon
tłʼéʼsanaaʼái
/tɬʔeʔsanaːʔai/
Mother
shimá
/ʃima/
Father
shitaa
/ʃitaː/
Eat
yiyąʼ
/jijãʔ/
Drink
yidlą
/jidlãˀ/
Love
ayóigóʼíí
/ʔajoiɣoʔiː/
Heart
bíjéí
/bidʒeː/
Tree
tsin
/tsin/
House
kį
/kĩ/
Dog
łį́į́ʼ
/ɬĩːʔ/
Cat
mósí
/mosi/
Hand
shílaʼ
/ʃilaʔ/
Eye
nadáá
/nadaː/
Hello
dahgotʼe
/dahɡotʔe/
Thank you
ahéheʼe
/ʔaheːheʔe/
One
dááłeʼ
/daːɬeʔ/
Good
nzhǫǫ
/nʒõː/
Words compared
Compared with related Na-Dené (Athabaskan, Southern) languages
| Meaning | Western Apache | Navajo | Chipewyan | Koyukon | Hupa | Old Khmer | Arapaho |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | tu /tu/ | tó /tóː/ | tu /tu/ | too /toː/ | xaŋ /xɑŋ/ | ទឹក /tik/ | nec /netʃ/ |
| Fire | kǫʼ /kṍʔ/ | kǫʼ /kõːʔ/ | kʼón /kʼón/ | konh /konh/ | xoŋ’ /xoŋʔ/ | ភ្លើង /pʰlɤːŋ/ | héétee' /héːteːʔ/ |
| Sun | shándaʼá /ʃándaːʔá/ | jóhonaaʼéí /dʒóhonɑːʔéːí/ | sa /sa/ | so /so/ | hwa /hwa/ | ព្រះអាទិត្យ /preh ʔaːtit/ | hiʼíísh /hiʔíːʃ/ |
| Moon | tłʼéʼsanaaʼái /tɬʔeʔsanaːʔai/ | tłʼéhonaaʼéí /tɬʼéhonɑːʔéːí/ | hadelyi /haðeli/ | oolts'enh /ooltsʼenh/ | hwa-ʼaŋʼ /hwaʔɑŋʔ/ | ខែ /kʰae/ | biikóusis /biːkóusis/ |
| Mother | shimá /ʃima/ | shimá /ʃimáː/ | ená /ena/ | enaa /enaː/ | -an’ /-anʔ/ | មាតា /maːtaː/ | neinó /neinó/ |
| Father | shitaa /ʃitaː/ | shizhéʼé /ʃiʒéːʔéː/ | etá /eta/ | etaa /etaː/ | -ta’ /-taʔ/ | បិតា /pitaː/ | neisónoo /neisónoː/ |
| Eat | yiyąʼ /jijãʔ/ | yishą́ /jiʃã́ː/ | ɂıłtsu /ʔiɬtsu/ | ghen /ɣen/ | na-ya:n /nɑjɑːn/ | ស៊ី /siː/ | betébí /betébí/ |
| Drink | yidlą /jidlãˀ/ | yishdlą́ /jiʃtɬã́ː/ | ɂıdla /ʔidla/ | don /don/ | na-ʼa:n /nɑʔɑːn/ | ផឹក /pʰək/ | bénee /bénéː/ |
| Love | ayóigóʼíí /ʔajoiɣoʔiː/ | ayóóʼánóshní /ɑjóːʔɑ́nóʃníː/ | hı́́la /hila/ | k'oonejee /kʼooneʒeː/ | na-wh-ʼisht’e’n /nɑwʔɪʃtʼɛʔn/ | ស្នេហា /snehaː/ | héétébí /héːtébí/ |
| Heart | bíjéí /bidʒeː/ | ajéí /ɑdʒéːí/ | eθey /eθej/ | heł /heɬ/ | -piŋ /-piŋ/ | ហ្ឫទ័យ /hridəj/ | betéé /betéː/ |
| Tree | tsin /tsin/ | tsin /t͡sin/ | tθʼen /tθʼen/ | k'eyh /kʼejh/ | kin /kɪn/ | ដើមឈើ /daəm tʃʰəː/ | hooxéí /hoːxéí/ |
| House | kį /kĩ/ | hooghan /hoːɣɑn/ | kǫ́é /kɔ̃e/ | kkun /kːun/ | xontah /xontɑh/ | គេហ /keːh/ | biito /biːto/ |
| Dog | łį́į́ʼ /ɬĩːʔ/ | łééchąąʼí /ɬéːtʃãːʔí/ | łı́ /ɬi/ | łeek /ɬeːk/ | ɬi:n /ɬiːn/ | ឆ្កែ /tʃʰkae/ | héʼ /héʔ/ |
| Cat | mósí /mosi/ | mósí /mósí/ | nábaye /nabaje/ | dotonh /dotonh/ | — /—/ | ឆ្មា /tʃʰmaː/ | cécee /tʃétʃéː/ |
| Hand | shílaʼ /ʃilaʔ/ | álaʼ /ʔálaʔ/ | ela /ela/ | ela /ela/ | -laʼ /-laʔ/ | ហស្ត /hast/ | hooxóʼ /hoːxóʔ/ |
| Eye | nadáá /nadaː/ | anááʼ /ʔanáːʔ/ | índa /inda/ | nełtonh /neɬtonh/ | -na:ʼ /-nɑːʔ/ | ភ្នែក /pʰnɛːk/ | hisí /hisí/ |
| Hello | dahgotʼe /dahɡotʔe/ | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | edlanetʼè /eðlanetʼe/ | enaa basee' /enaː baseːʔ/ | ts’ehdiya’ /tsʼɛhdɪjaʔ/ | សួស្តី /suəsdəj/ | héébe /héːbe/ |
| Thank you | ahéheʼe /ʔaheːheʔe/ | ahéheeʼ /ɑhéːheːʔ/ | mahsi cho /mahsi tʃo/ | baasee' /baːseːʔ/ | na:nehs-ʼe:n /nɑːnɛhsʔɛːn/ | អនុមោទនា /ʔanumoːtəna/ | hohóu /hohóu/ |
| One | dááłeʼ /daːɬeʔ/ | tʼááłáʼí /tʼɑ́ːɬɑ́ːʔí/ | ɂıłąɣe /ʔiɬɔ̃ɣe/ | łeek'eyh /ɬeːkʼejh/ | ɬaʼ /ɬaʔ/ | ឯក /ʔaek/ | ceeséeʼ /tʃeːséːʔ/ |
| Good | nzhǫǫ /nʒõː/ | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | nezų /nezũ/ | nezoonh /nezoːnh/ | niwhoŋ /nɪwhoŋ/ | ល្អ /lʔɑː/ | hetééʼ /hetéːʔ/ |
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