Diné bizaad

Navajo

Na-Dené (Athabaskan, Southern)

FamilyNa-Dené (Athabaskan, Southern) Speakers~170K ScriptLatin CountriesUSA (Navajo Nation — AZ, NM, UT) Official inNo (Navajo Nation has internal language preservation) Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3nav

Also known as: Navajo, Diné, Dine

Navajo (Diné Bizaad) is an Athabaskan (Athapaskan) language with ~170K speakers — the most-spoken Native American language in the USA, primary language of the Navajo Nation (Arizona/New Mexico/Utah). Famous for the Navajo Code Talkers (WWII Pacific Theater code never broken). Latin orthography (Young & Morgan 1937 standard). Distinguished by tone (high/low + glottalization), aspirated/glottalized consonants, complex verb morphology.

Where it is spoken

20 core words in Navajo

Water

/tóː/

Fire

kǫʼ

/kõːʔ/

Sun

jóhonaaʼéí

/dʒóhonɑːʔéːí/

Moon

tłʼéhonaaʼéí

/tɬʼéhonɑːʔéːí/

Mother

shimá

/ʃimáː/

Father

shizhéʼé

/ʃiʒéːʔéː/

Eat

yishą́

/jiʃã́ː/

Drink

yishdlą́

/jiʃtɬã́ː/

Love

ayóóʼánóshní

/ɑjóːʔɑ́nóʃníː/

Heart

ajéí

/ɑdʒéːí/

Tree

tsin

/t͡sin/

House

hooghan

/hoːɣɑn/

Dog

łééchąąʼí

/ɬéːtʃãːʔí/

Cat

mósí

/mósí/

Hand

álaʼ

/ʔálaʔ/

Eye

anááʼ

/ʔanáːʔ/

Hello

yáʼátʼééh

/jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/

Thank you

ahéheeʼ

/ɑhéːheːʔ/

One

tʼááłáʼí

/tʼɑ́ːɬɑ́ːʔí/

Good

yáʼátʼééh

/jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Na-Dené (Athabaskan, Southern) languages

Meaning NavajoWestern ApacheArapahoKiowaHaryanviDogriClassical Syriac
Water /tóː/ tu /tu/ nec /netʃ/ ko̱: /kɔ̃ː/ पाणी /paːɳiː/ पाणी /paːɳiː/ ܡܝܐ /majjaː/
Fire kǫʼ /kõːʔ/ kǫʼ /kṍʔ/ héétee' /héːteːʔ/ phi̱ /pʰĩ/ आग /aːɡ/ अग्ग /aɡː/ ܢܘܪܐ /nuːraː/
Sun jóhonaaʼéí /dʒóhonɑːʔéːí/ shándaʼá /ʃándaːʔá/ hiʼíísh /hiʔíːʃ/ phî: /pʰîː/ सूरज /suːɾədʒ/ सूरज /suːraj/ ܫܡܫܐ /ʃemʃaː/
Moon tłʼéhonaaʼéí /tɬʼéhonɑːʔéːí/ tłʼéʼsanaaʼái /tɬʔeʔsanaːʔai/ biikóusis /biːkóusis/ phé: /pʰéː/ चांद /tʃãːd/ चन्न /tʃanː/ ܣܗܪܐ /sahraː/
Mother shimá /ʃimáː/ shimá /ʃima/ neinó /neinó/ gì: /ɡìː/ माई /maːiː/ मां /mãː/ ܐܡܐ /ʔemmaː/
Father shizhéʼé /ʃiʒéːʔéː/ shitaa /ʃitaː/ neisónoo /neisónoː/ gò: /ɡòː/ बापू /baːpuː/ बापू /baːpuː/ ܐܒܐ /ʔabbaː/
Eat yishą́ /jiʃã́ː/ yiyąʼ /jijãʔ/ betébí /betébí/ gè: /ɡèː/ खाणा /kʰaːɳaː/ खाना /kʰaːnaː/ ܐܟܠ /ʔeχal/
Drink yishdlą́ /jiʃtɬã́ː/ yidlą /jidlãˀ/ bénee /bénéː/ kʰò: /kʰòː/ पीणा /piːɳaː/ पीना /piːnaː/ ܐܫܬܝ /ʔeʃtiː/
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Word order compared

Compare with major world languages

Navajo
Shí kéyah tséhootsooí bitsʼą́ą́dę́ę́ʼ naalyéhé bá hooghan yishʼį́į́ʼ ééʼ yishłááh nisin
أنا أريد أن أجرب بدلة رأيتها في محل مقابل الفندق
试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 看到的 那套西装
I want to try on a suit I saw ‌in a shop across from the hotel
Ich möchte einen Anzug anprobieren den ich in einem Geschäft gegenüber vom Hotel gesehen habe
मैं होटल के सामने एक दुकान में देखा सूट को पहनकर देखना चाहता हूँ
私は ホテルの 向かいの お店 見た スーツを 試着 したいです
Я хочу примерить костюм который я увидел в магазине напротив отеля

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