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
31 core words in Western Apache
Water
tu
/tu/
Fire
kǫʼ
/kṍʔ/
Sun
shándaʼá
/ʃándaːʔá/
Moon
tłʼéʼsanaaʼái
/tɬʔeʔsanaːʔai/
Star
sǫʼs
/sṍːs/
Mother
shimá
/ʃima/
Father
shitaa
/ʃitaː/
I
shí
/ʃí/
You
ni
/ní/
Name
-zhiʼ
/ʒìʔ/
Eye
nadáá
/nadaː/
Hand
shílaʼ
/ʃilaʔ/
Heart
bíjéí
/bidʒeː/
Love
ayóigóʼíí
/ʔajoiɣoʔiː/
Tree
tsin
/tsin/
House
kį
/kĩ/
Dog
łį́į́ʼ
/ɬĩːʔ/
Cat
mósí
/mosi/
Eat
yiyąʼ
/jijãʔ/
Drink
yidlą
/jidlãˀ/
One
dááłeʼ
/daːɬeʔ/
Two
naaki
/naːki/
Hello
dahgotʼe
/dahɡotʔe/
Thank you
ahéheʼe
/ʔaheːheʔe/
Good
nzhǫǫ
/nʒõː/
Words compared
Compared with related Na-Dené (Athabaskan, Southern) languages
| Meaning | Western Apache | Navajo | Chipewyan | Hupa | Koyukon | Arapaho | Carrier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | tu /tu/ | tó /tóː/ | tu /tu/ | xaŋ /xɑŋ/ | too /toː/ | nec /netʃ/ | tu /tu/ |
| Fire | kǫʼ /kṍʔ/ | kǫʼ /kõːʔ/ | kʼón /kʼón/ | xoŋ’ /xoŋʔ/ | konh /konh/ | héétee' /héːteːʔ/ | kwen /kʷen/ |
| Sun | shándaʼá /ʃándaːʔá/ | jóhonaaʼéí /dʒóhonɑːʔéːí/ | sa /sa/ | hwa /hwa/ | so /so/ | hiʼíísh /hiʔíːʃ/ | sa /sa/ |
| Moon | tłʼéʼsanaaʼái /tɬʔeʔsanaːʔai/ | tłʼéhonaaʼéí /tɬʼéhonɑːʔéːí/ | hadelyi /haðeli/ | hwa-ʼaŋʼ /hwaʔɑŋʔ/ | oolts'enh /ooltsʼenh/ | biikóusis /biːkóusis/ | sa-tlhaeh /sa tɬaeh/ |
| Star | sǫʼs /sṍːs/ | sǫʼ /sṍʔ/ | thën /θən/ | sʼeʔ /sʼeʔ/ | so /sɔ/ | ho3o' /hoθoːʔ/ | sun /sən/ |
| Mother | shimá /ʃima/ | shimá /ʃimáː/ | ená /ena/ | -an’ /-anʔ/ | enaa /enaː/ | neinó /neinó/ | oo /oː/ |
| Father | shitaa /ʃitaː/ | shizhéʼé /ʃiʒéːʔéː/ | etá /eta/ | -ta’ /-taʔ/ | etaa /etaː/ | neisónoo /neisónoː/ | abe /abe/ |
| I | shí /ʃí/ | shí /ʃí/ | si /si/ | whe /hʷe/ | see /siː/ | nenee' /nɛnɛːʔ/ | si /si/ |
| You | ni /ní/ | ni /ni/ | nen /nɛn/ | niŋ /nɪŋ/ | nee /niː/ | nénen /nénɛn/ | nen /nen/ |
| Name | -zhiʼ /ʒìʔ/ | -zhiʼ /ʒìʔ/ | -zí /zí/ | -ooziʔ /oːzɪʔ/ | -zaakkʼeʼ /zàːkʼeʔ/ | -íisi' /íːsiʔ/ | uzi /uzi/ |
| Eye | nadáá /nadaː/ | anááʼ /ʔanáːʔ/ | índa /inda/ | -na:ʼ /-nɑːʔ/ | nełtonh /neɬtonh/ | hisí /hisí/ | ʼunaq /ʔunaq/ |
| Hand | shílaʼ /ʃilaʔ/ | álaʼ /ʔálaʔ/ | ela /ela/ | -laʼ /-laʔ/ | ela /ela/ | hooxóʼ /hoːxóʔ/ | la /la/ |
| Heart | bíjéí /bidʒeː/ | ajéí /ɑdʒéːí/ | eθey /eθej/ | -piŋ /-piŋ/ | -dzaaya' /tsæːjəʔ/ | betéé /betéː/ | ʼunjid /ʔundʒid/ |
| Love | ayóigóʼíí /ʔajoiɣoʔiː/ | ayóóʼánóshní /ɑjóːʔɑ́nóʃníː/ | hı́́la /hila/ | na-wh-ʼisht’e’n /nɑwʔɪʃtʼɛʔn/ | k'oonejee /kʼooneʒeː/ | héétébí /héːtébí/ | sjut /sdʒut/ |
| Tree | tsin /tsin/ | tsin /tsin/ | tθʼen /tθʼen/ | kin /kɪn/ | k'eyh /kʼejh/ | hooxéí /hoːxéí/ | dechen /detʃen/ |
| House | kį /kĩ/ | hooghan /hoːɣɑn/ | kǫ́é /kɔ̃e/ | xontah /xontɑh/ | kkun /kːun/ | biito /biːto/ | yoh /joh/ |
| Dog | łį́į́ʼ /ɬĩːʔ/ | łééchąąʼí /ɬéːtʃãːʔí/ | łı́ /ɬi/ | ɬi:n /ɬiːn/ | łeek /ɬeːk/ | héʼ /héʔ/ | łi /ɬi/ |
| Cat | mósí /mosi/ | mósí /mósí/ | nábaye /nabaje/ | — /—/ | dotonh /dotonh/ | cécee /tʃétʃéː/ | gus /ɡus/ |
| Eat | yiyąʼ /jijãʔ/ | yishą́ /jiʃã́ː/ | ɂıłtsu /ʔiɬtsu/ | na-ya:n /nɑjɑːn/ | ghen /ɣen/ | betébí /betébí/ | ʼoonjuh /ʔoːndʒuh/ |
| Drink | yidlą /jidlãˀ/ | yishdlą́ /jiʃtɬã́ː/ | ɂıdla /ʔidla/ | na-ʼa:n /nɑʔɑːn/ | don /don/ | bénee /bénéː/ | dunjuh /dundʒuh/ |
| One | dááłeʼ /daːɬeʔ/ | tʼááłáʼí /tʼɑ́ːɬɑ́ːʔí/ | ɂıłąɣe /ʔiɬɔ̃ɣe/ | ɬaʼ /ɬaʔ/ | łeek'eyh /ɬeːkʼejh/ | ceeséeʼ /tʃeːséːʔ/ | ʼulhah /ʔuɬah/ |
| Two | naaki /naːki/ | naaki /nɑːkɪ/ | nàke /naɡe/ | nahx /naːx/ | netaakkʼa /netàːkʼʌ/ | niis /niːs/ | nanki /nanki/ |
| Hello | dahgotʼe /dahɡotʔe/ | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | edlanetʼè /eðlanetʼe/ | ts’ehdiya’ /tsʼɛhdɪjaʔ/ | enaa basee' /enaː baseːʔ/ | héébe /héːbe/ | ʼahdoozaee /ʔahdoːzaː/ |
| Thank you | ahéheʼe /ʔaheːheʔe/ | ahéheeʼ /ɑhéːheːʔ/ | mahsi cho /mahsi tʃo/ | na:nehs-ʼe:n /nɑːnɛhsʔɛːn/ | baasee' /baːseːʔ/ | hohóu /hohóu/ | snachailya /snatʃailja/ |
| Good | nzhǫǫ /nʒõː/ | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | nezų /nezũ/ | niwhoŋ /nɪwhoŋ/ | nezoonh /nezoːnh/ | hetééʼ /hetéːʔ/ | nezuʼ /nezuʔ/ |
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