Ya'at eeh! Greetings
Navajo is quite complex, with a large variety of noun classes including "animate", "round
object", "long, stiff object" and "granular object".
Very simple verbs in Navajo may translate into many words in English; for instance, the verb si' means "to cause a hafted object to move" or, more practically, "to practice
Changing Woman
Changing Woman lived alone. One day she received inspiration
to go up on a hill and build a wickiup with four poles, where
the first rays of the sun would strike in the morning.
Is dzán naadleeshe' went inside and lay there and as the sun came up, the sun shone between her legs.
One of his rays went into her. This caused her first menstrual period. After that she became pregnant.
She conceived a son and called him Nayé nazgháné; (Slayer of Monsters).
Four days later she was impregnated by Water- Old Man and gave birth to Túbaadeschine (Born of the Water-Old Man). These were the first Apache people.
NAVAJO VOCABULARY
How do you do! Good. Yah'eh-teh'.
Affectionate greeting. Ah-hah-lah'nih.
Friend. Sih-kiss.'
Grandfather. Shih-chai.'
Grandmother. Shah-mah' tsah'nih.
Mister. Grown man. Hos-teen'.
Grown woman. Ah-dzah'nih.
Young man. Dih-neh'.
Young woman. Chih-keh'.
Baby. Ah-wayh'.
American. Bel-ih-kah'nah.
Navajo. Dih-neh.'
Mexican. Nah'kai.
Pueblo Indians. Kees-ah'nih.
Hopi Indians. Ah-yah' kin'neh.
The President. Washingtone Nah-tah'nih.
Missionary. Eh nay-shod'dih.
Catholic Missionary. Bee-ay' dah'nih nez'ih-gih. (Long coat.)
Protestant Missionary. Bee-ay' ah-dahs' sis'ih-gih. (Short coat.)
Medicine-man. Hah-tah'lih.
Thank you. Ah-sheh'heh.
Yes. O'o.
No. Doh-tah'.
All right. Luh.
No good. Doh'yah ah-shon'dah.
I don't know. Ho'lah.
Where. Hah'dih.
Water. Toh.
Road or trail. Ah-teen'.
Automobile. Chih'dih. (Chug-chug.)
House. Hogan. Hoh-rahn'.
When. (Past time.) Hah-tahne.'
When. (Future time.) Hah-gho'.
How much? Doh quih'?
Dollar. Bay'soh.
Seventy-five cents. Six-bits. Hahs-tahn' yahl.
Fifty cents. Four bits. Deen yahl.
Twenty-five cents. Two bits. Nah-kih' yahl.
Ten cents. Dah-thlai' doh-tleesh'.
Tobacco. Nah-toh'.
Matches. Tsin tleh'thlih.
Blanket. Bayl dlah'dih.
Sand-painting. Ee-kah'.
War Dance. Squaw Dance. Nn-dah' Ah-nah'jih.
Yeibitchai Dance. Night Chant. Klay'jih Hah-tahl'.
Mountain Chant. (Fire Dance.) Dzith kih'jih Hah-tahl'.
Devil-chasing Ceremony. Hoh-chon'jih Hah-tahl'.
Evil spirit. Ghost. Tchin'dih.
Horse. Thleen.
Sheep. Deh-beh'.
Goat. Tliz'zih
American. Bel-ih-kah'nah.
Navajo. Dih-neh.'
Mexican. Nah'kai.
Pueblo Indians. Kees-ah'nih.
Hopi Indians. Ah-yah' kin'neh.
The President. Washingtone Nah-tah'nih.
Missionary. Eh nay-shod'dih.
Catholic Missionary. Bee-ay' dah'nih nez'ih-gih. (Long coat.)
Protestant Missionary. Bee-ay' ah-dahs' sis'ih-gih. (Short coat.)
Medicine-man. Hah-tah'lih.
Thank you. Ah-sheh'heh.
Yes. O'o.
No. Doh-tah'.
All right. Luh.
No good. Doh'yah ah-shon'dah.
I don't know. Ho'lah.
Where. Hah'dih.
Water. Toh.
Road or trail. Ah-teen'.
Automobile. Chih'dih. (Chug-chug.)
House. Hogan. Hoh-rahn'.
When. (Past time.) Hah-tahne.'
When. (Future time.) Hah-gho'.
How much? Doh quih'?
Dollar. Bay'soh.
Seventy-five cents. Six-bits. Hahs-tahn' yahl.
Fifty cents. Four bits. Deen yahl.
Twenty-five cents. Two bits. Nah-kih' yahl.
Ten cents. Dah-thlai' doh-tleesh'.
Tobacco. Nah-toh'.
Matches. Tsin tleh'thlih.
Blanket. Bayl dlah'dih.
Sand-painting. Ee-kah'.
War Dance. Squaw Dance. Nn-dah' Ah-nah'jih.
Yeibitchai Dance. Night Chant. Klay'jih Hah-tahl'.
Mountain Chant. (Fire Dance.) Dzith kih'jih Hah-tahl'.
Devil-chasing Ceremony. Hoh-chon'jih Hah-tahl'.
Evil spirit. Ghost. Tchin'dih.
Horse. Thleen.
Sheep. Deh-beh'.
Goat. Tliz'zih