Table Of ContentDiné Bizaad:
Speak, Read, Write Navajo
Irvy W. Goossen
Salina Bookshelf
Flagstaff, Arizona
To my wife, Imogene, who patiently endured
some neglect while I was occupied for days
and months in writing these lessons.
Table of Contents
Preface ix
The Navajo Alphabet xii
Lesson 1 Rob dóó Kii Yazzie 1
Learn the usual greeting Introduce yourself and start a conversation Ask a
person's name and inquire where he lives Ask and answer a positive question
Use independent and possessive personal pronouns Question enclitics Verbs
"to be, to learn it Postpositions Verbs "to be good, to be called a name"
Lesson 2 Ch íńlįįdi Dabighan 10
Ask and answer a yes/no question Negate a statement Family-relationship terms
Practice use of place names Clan relationship terms Question markers
Lesson 3 Háísh Naalnish? 20
Ask for help Talk about work Cardinal numbers 1-10 Pluralization Person markers
in verbs Interjections Verb "to work Plural nouns Linguistic notes: neuter
imperfective, imperfective, continuative imperfective
Lesson 4 Díkwíí Béédááhai? 30
Telling time by years, months Verbs "to forget, to remember" "Maybe" Subordinate
clauses Verb "to repeat it" Imperatives Syllable formation
Lesson 5 Bessie dóó Hastiin Hall 40
Express possession Nominalizers The adjective Verbs "to read, to read it"
"Teen numbers" Verb "to be" Linguistic note — perfective mode
Lesson 6 Saad Bóhoo'aah 50
"Come in" "Sit down" How do you call that? "Come again" Verb "to name it"
Lesson 7 John Yazzie Bighandi 60
"Fm from..." Reason for action Tell of happenings in the past Locative and
directional enclitics Verb "to walk around" Review nominalizers
Lesson 8 Áłchíní Bicheii Yighandi 70
Colors "Few, many" Farm animals Verb "to tell" Express future concepts
Numbers 20+ Verb "to resemble" Spatial prefix Linguistic — word flow
Lesson 9 Ch'aa Deeskai 80
Quote people Speak about going places Means of travel Verbs "to start out to go,
to hear it" Theme prefix "When?"(future) "Tomorrow" Express purpose Verb
"to say it" Y
vi Table of Contents
Lesson 10 Áłchíní Bimá Sání Baa Hane' 90
Express "together" Verb "to help" Work around the house Verbs "to take care of it,
to be sitting, to make it as an occupation, to weave, to be interested in it" Compare both
"to be" verbs
Lesson 11 Rob dóó Sandy Hall Ch'aa Naazh'áázh 100
Tell time past Verb "go and return" Describe the weather Buying and cost Verb
"to come" (perfective) Spend the night "When?" (past) Verbs "to go and return
(perfective), I was given it, to buy it (perfective), it costs" Onomatopoetic words
Linguistic notes — si-perfective, iterative, usitative, perfective modes
Lesson 12 Ahił Nááhálne' 110
Express "to make" (imperfective, perfective) "Both of them, all of them" Verb
"to learn it" (perfective) General time designations Verb "to work on it"
Lesson 13 Kingóó Deeskai 120
Express "to want it, to think" Verbs "to play, to buy (future), to be dwindling away"
Express waiting Verb "to run, help"
Lesson 14 Art Binaalyéhé Bá Hooghandi 130
Count money Class verbs introduction Buying and selling Verb "to buy it"
Class verb stem chart Paradigm of handling in present Linguistic review of
directional and locative enclitics and combinations
Lesson 15 Ná'iiniihídi 140
Class verbs Describe size Designate position The trading post Verb
"to want more, again"
Lesson 16 Háadi Sinil? Ndiinííł 150
Describe position with class verbs Use locative postpositions and enclitics Verb
"to pick it up"
Lesson 17 Dá'ák'eh Halánígóó Dookah 160
Verb "to go, to arrive" (future) Tell time by clock, by the sun Days of the week
Verb "to go by vehicle" Adverbs of time Locative adverbs Verb "to see it, to know
the place, to become"
Lesson 18 Dá'ák'eh Halánígóó Bit Oolwoł 170
Road conditions Direct a driver Distance in miles Verb "to know him"
(imperfective and perfective)
Table of Contents vii
Lesson 19 Kii Bimá Sání Bighandi 180
More directionals Verb "to walk along" Perfective mode in handling objects Verb
"to look at it" Describe an area "There is space" Describe cool, warm "All of it"
Verbs "to grow up, to make it" (passive)
Lesson 20 Asdzą́é Tsosie Bighan Góne é 190
Names of furniture, rooms, areas of the house Meal setting - Passing Food Verbs:
"to eat, to eat it, to drink, to drink it, to be famished" "Light" colors
Lesson 21 Ch'aa Naaskaiígíí Baa Nááháne' 200
Future and perfective of "to tell it" Description of home surroundings Verbs
"to eat, to drink" Indefinite dubitative Verb "to understand it" Verb "to eat, to eat it"
(Perfective) Basic future prefixes Linguistic note Passives
Lesson 22 Azee'ál'íígóó 210
Variety of sicknesses Verbs "becoming, being sick" At the hospital Accompaniment
verbs Verb "to sleep" (perfective) Janitorial care "to wash, to sweep, to maintain"
Verb "to cough, to be kind" "A year ago; a year from now"
Lesson 23 Názlínígóó Atiingóó Bił Oolwoł 220
Verb "to be of the opinion" Cardinal directions Verb "to commute'* Road and
soil conditions Seasons and weather Verb "to be snowing, to be storming, to be raining"
Lesson 24 Názlínídóó Kii Binálí Bighangóó 230
More road conditions Making payments Expressing frustration - "to be hopeless,
impossible" Verb "to talk" Miscellaneous physical area descriptions
Lesson 25 T'ahdii Kii Binálí Bighandi 240
Verb "to ride horseback" 'What is meant by ? Body parts Descriptive
names of persons, clans, animals, birds Verbs "to be different, to listen,
to butcher, to butcher it, to learn it again"
Lesson 26 Kii Bik'éí Baa Hane' 250
Verbs "to plant, to plant it (imperfective and perfective), to hoe, to grow"
"Even though..." Verbs "to return, to recur" Reversionary prefix
Lesson 27 Áłah Ná ádleehídi 260
Verb "to return" Verbs "to begin, to convene, to attend a meeting" "It is said"
Verb "to correct it" Optative verbs Verbs "to discuss it, to be lazy, to work"
(perfective) "To be less than..." Verb "to look for it"
viii Table of Contents
Lesson 28 Áłah Azlft'gi 270
Verbs "to run, to run around "It will be done, it will be given" Chapter Officers Verbs
"to arrive, to begin to speak, to work (future), to raise the hand (future), to begin to work,
to spin (yarn), to sew"
Lesson 29 Kin Áhálnéhídi 282
Alternative third person pronouns and verbs Verb "to look at it, to be born" (passive),
"to use it"
Lesson 30 Hastiin Hall Dóó Kii Ahił Nááhálne' 292
Verbs "to cry, to bark, to sleep, to be mean" Describe comparative sizes,
lengths, weights "To be true"
Appendix A Verb Paradigms 302
Appendix B The Navajo Verb Chart 311
Navajo — English Glossary 316
English — Navajo Glossary 326
Preface
Diné Bizaad: Speak, Read, Write Navajo has been prepared with three basic goals in mind: to
introduce a limited, elementary vocabulary which the student can put to immediate use: to explain in
layman's terms the linguistic features of the language so he can create his own sentences and speak in
correct though simple form; to give the native speaker a base for reading and eventually writing his
own language.
To achieve these goals, the dialogs and narratives are set in and around the home, in the classroom
and on the road. These are very elementary at first but serve to initiate the student through simple
question and answer settings. Students can spend time on a one-on-one basis and go to larger groups in
discussing topics derived from the dialogs. Quick response drills enable the student to respond in-
stantly, eventually without much thought, to the prompting of the model.
The book is not a grammar, nor is there any attempt made at covering all the linguistic features of
the language. The main thrust is the introduction of the sounds of Navajo, the basic sentence structure
and a partial application of tense, mode and aspect of the Navajo verb. This is done through the
introduction of a limited basic vocabulary that is immediately useful to the student. It is not adequate
for any professional application.
Diné Bizaad frees the instructor from creating drills and exercises to give time for conversation in
class. Short stories in the lessons and writing assignments help the effort in learning to read and to
build a vocabulary.
New vocabulary is explained in numbered sections. Copious examples accompany these explana-
tions. Whole paradigms of verbs are introduced as needed. Some cultural topics are included.
Drill sections in each lesson help the student to respond quickly with minimal thought time. The
questions pertaining to lesson dialogs and narratives can be simple oral exercises. Native speakers can
be assigned more writing practice using the limited vocabulary. The drills integrate new vocabulary
with words and concepts learned earlier.
Practice of lesson materials should be carried on in Navajo as much as possible. Only a few
English to Navajo exercises are included. Practicing in Navajo with a few mistakes is better than using
English as a crutch.
Although the Navajo language is basically the same throughout the reservation, a number of
dialectal areas can be identified. In general, the western, central and eastern areas each have some
distinctive features. In each there are smaller sub-areas. There are also some differences of pronuncia-
tion and expression from one clan to another. Last, as in any language, individual preferences are
sometimes vigorously defended. If the lessons reflect any regional tendencies, they would be those of
the south-central — Wide Ruins, Klagetoh, Greasewood and Ganado areas.
A feature sometimes thought of as a local variation, is that of making use of a word in as many
situations as possible. It may not always be the best word, but is permissible in the setting. This
stretching of vocabulary at times seems incorrect to native speakers. They can often think of much
better ways to express themselves. But, until a person has learned a fairly large vocabulary, he does not
always use the "best" word for every environment. A primer in any language makes wide use of a few
basic words which are manipulated in a variety of ways. As new vocabulary is learned, some of the
earlier words are dropped for more appropriate expressions.
ix
Preface
X
The third person alternate verbs and pronouns have been reserved for the last lessons. The student
has enough to learn and remember without the complication of the third alternate forms. Unfortunately,
the form is constantly in use by native speakers and the student could profit from its use. But one can
handle only about so much baggage as he enters new language territory.
Appendix A contains complete verb paradigms, including the third person alternate verbs. The list
is also a source of quite a few verbs not included in the lessons.
In Appendix B there is a short explanation of the verb complex — how the verb is constructed.
While the new learner has to search for the appropriate prefix in his memory bank, the fluent speaker
sorts out the correct prefixes automatically and places them in the correct order. The eventual aim in
acquiring the language is to be able to pick out these prefixes and "make up the language as you go."
That ability goes beyond the scope of these lessons.
The Navajo-English glossary contains the words used in the lessons. In the interest of room, only
first and third person singular verbs that can be so classified are listed.
The English-Navajo glossary includes some extra words that may be useful in building a vocabu-
lary. Because of the nature of the Navajo verbs, not all verbs in a paradigm are given.
Internal changes in the Navajo verb make for an incredibly large vocabulary that must be learned,
and eventually mastered, to carry on any lengthy conversation. Mastery will normally not come for a
number of years nor without considerable effort, as stated in Diné Bizaad Bíhoęaah 1, (p. 7), "The
price of fluent Navajo is high...It s a long, hard run" and indeed continues through life.
Navajos laugh easily and a student may go through what Alan Wilson calls "the period of blunder
and laughter," (p. viii). But one should not be reluctant to use what he knows. He should laugh with
the people. The truth is, he will never learn to speak the language if he waits to be perfect. The new
learner of Navajo can take consolation in knowing that not all Navajos speak in flawless form. He can
profit from finding a sympathetic person with whom he can feel at ease and who will coach him. Older
people are often more tolerant of a new learner than are the younger ones.
Just as new and novel ways of learning other languages are introduced annually, so this book is
only another step forward in acquiring Navajo. While there is some resemblance to my earlier
Navajo Made Easier, the sequence of vocabulary introduction and the drills and exercises should be a
great improvement.
In getting help from a native speaker, the student should remember that Navajo verbs are very
precise and the one helping may have a slightly different situation in mind and may insist on a verb
different from the one in the text. Accept such help and learn yet another expression.
If a student is able to remember a word for a day and use it correctly, he can then wait two days to
review it. After that he may not need to review it for four days. This doubling of time intervals can
extend into weeks, months and years.
Through the years of living on and near the reservation there have been hundreds of people who
have helped me with the language. To give all of them credit would be impossible. Generally, the older
people were sympathetic and some took a lot of time to help me in my early attempts at speaking
Navajo.
X Preface
Being a teacher, at first in the Navajo Missionary Language classes, held at various parts of the
reservation, gave me a start in teaching the language. The twelve years at Northern Arizona University
helped much to improve my ability to teach and to consolidate my knowledge of linguistic features. Dr.
P. David Seaman and Dr. William Griffen were very helpful in giving me guidance in general linguis-
tics.
Some years ago one of my students said, "I d like to meet the woman who can put up with the
likes of you, while you are sitting on the log at the Wide Ruins Trading Post trying out your fluency in
Navajo and learning new words." My wife, Imogene, deserves special recognition for those times, as
well as when she was an "office widow" during the many days over the period of years I was writing
this book.
Glenn Marshall, of Thoreau, New Mexico, has been helpful in giving encouragement and in
checking the manuscript for typographical and other errors.
Irvy W. Goossen
June 12, 1995
The Navajo Alphabet
A. VOWELS
1. There are four basic vowels in the Navajo alphabet. They are as follows, the first example being a
Navajo word the last, the closest approximation in English.
a gad juniper like /a/ in art
e e e aah west like /e/ in set
i sis belt like /i/ in sit
o hosh cactus something between /ou, o/ in
could and code
2. Vowels may be either long or short in duration, the long vowels being indicated by
doubling of the letter. Syllables ending in /d/ or / / (the glottal stop) tend to sound a bit
longer than those ending with other consonants or without consonants. The length does
not affect of the vowels, except that /ii/ is always pronounced as /i/ in machine.
saad word bizaad his language
dééh tea ahwééh coffee
díí this, these biih into it
dóó and yidlóóh he is cold
3. Vowels with hooks under them are nasalized. Some of the breath passes through the
nose in their production. If you have trouble nasalizing, think /n/ but do not vocalize it
as you sound the vowel.
he is eating yesterday
aanyeąé sk ęs I hurry along adą́ą́dą́ą́' from where?
háádę́ę́
tį' come on! áshįįh salt
s star : striped
nood ́ ́z
4. When there is a tone mark over a letter, raise your voice slightly on that syllable.
ni you (one) ní he says it
azee medicine azéé mouth
he is you are
nilį́ nílį́
doo not dóó and
ndi but rít éé used to be
5. Diphthongs and vowel clusters are: ai, aii, ao, ei, eii, eo, oi, oii, ooi. The most
commonly used are:
ai hai winter something like /i/ in kite
ei éí that one /ay/ as in say
ao hait áo how? /ow/ as how
oi deesdoi it is hot /ouy/ as in bouy
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