Birthday Project 2013--Navajo Word of the Day

[Theresa]

Yes, that's it exactly!

Go away until I've had my Gohwééh.

[Theresa]

T’áá’áko
Okay, fine, alright, it's good, it's agreeable

In Navajo, t’áá’áko is translated in a variety of ways. In general, it’s a term that denotes something agreeable, or an accord of some sort.

It could mean ‘okay,’ ‘fine,’ ‘alright,’ ‘it’s good,’ or ‘it’s agreeable.’ That’s the general idea.

A simple phrase would be: “Shił t’áá’áko,” meaning “It’s alright with me.”

In question form, you could use the -ísh- particle to inquire if something is agreeable, such as an action or condition. “Shíká anilyeed, t’áásh’áko?” is another informal phrase meaning “You will help me, won’t you?” You can get a sense of what the term conveys.

Remember, in conversation a person may begin a sentence with ya’ or else end the statement with da’ in order to ask a question. These are the ways you can ask questions with the expected answer being a yes or no.


http://navajowotd.com/post/47123306550/taaako

[Theresa]

Diyogí
Rug

Diyogí is the Navajo name for rug.

Authentic Navajo rugs, of course, are famous for being woven from the painstaking labor of sheering the wool of a sheep, cleaning, carding the wool, dyeing, and spinning it into thread. The dyes must sometimes be collected from far-away places, making the process even more involved. Looms must be made, as well as the tools for the weaving.

Navajo rugs are highly abstract; designs convey ideas through symbols and lines, as well as colors. Skilled weavers know the different styles based upon regional designs, and can create unique rugs that stay true to the original ideas.


http://navajowotd.com/post/23492598385/diyogi

[Theresa]

Auditions for Navajo Translated Star Wars Movie (Episode IV)
From Daybreak Warrior--

On May 3rd & 4th of 2013, voice auditions were held at the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, AZ, for the Star Wars Episode IV to be dubbed into the Navajo language. This was my chance to audition for something as iconic as Star Wars so when I heard about this I jumped at it. It was an AMAZING experience & I am so glad I went. This is my own vlog on the whole event.

Since I was one of the rare people that dressed up for this audition, KOB TV from Albuquerque, NM, asked me how I would translate "May the Force Be With You" in Navajo. I gave my own spin on this and other phrases (translations start at the 3:13 minute mark) as:

Adziil Nił Hólọ́ọ Le'! (May the Force Be With You!)

Yá Yii' Naagháhí (Skywalker)

Adinídíín Neitinígíí ("Light Wielder" for Jedi)

Adinídíín Diltłish ("Sword of Light" for Light Sabre)

I actually got an interview on local TV news channels through this event. It was a very awesome day:

[youtube]7xqzt66e_bw[/youtube]

[Theresa]

Mother's Day
Amá Bééhániih

From Daybreak Warrior--
Since today is Mother's Day, today's Navajo Word of the Day is "Mother's Day." To say Mother's Day you say, "Amá Bééhániih." I am joined by my mother, younger brother Travis, & older sister Tanya, for this video!

The breakdown:

Amá: a mother
Bééhániih: is remembered.

The phrases used in this video is:

T'áá íiyisíí ahéhee, nitsaago!
(Thank you, very much!)

Amá Bééhániihígíí binahjį́ ahéhee' dadii'ní!
(In honor of Mother's Day, we say thanks!)

Thank you to all the mothers out there for all the hard work that you do! My mom is a great supporter of all of my projects, serves as my Navajo language expert for my videos, and has even been a camerawoman for many of my videos! Thanks mom, Happy Mother's Day!

[youtube]6DfTHz1FlgY[/youtube]

[SnoopyDances]

Auditions for Navajo Translated Star Wars Movie (Episode IV)
From Daybreak Warrior--

On May 3rd & 4th of 2013, voice auditions were held at the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, AZ, for the Star Wars Episode IV to be dubbed into the Navajo language. This was my chance to audition for something as iconic as Star Wars so when I heard about this I jumped at it. It was an AMAZING experience & I am so glad I went. This is my own vlog on the whole event.

Since I was one of the rare people that dressed up for this audition, KOB TV from Albuquerque, NM, asked me how I would translate "May the Force Be With You" in Navajo. I gave my own spin on this and other phrases (translations start at the 3:13 minute mark) as:

Adziil Nił Hólọ́ọ Le'! (May the Force Be With You!)

Yá Yii' Naagháhí (Skywalker)

Adinídíín Neitinígíí ("Light Wielder" for Jedi)

Adinídíín Diltłish ("Sword of Light" for Light Sabre)

I actually got an interview on local TV news channels through this event. It was a very awesome day:

Thanks for sharing that, Theresa!
That was fun to watch. I hope he gets in the movie somewhere. At least for a voice over, you don't have to worry about "looking" the part.
And I think it's great that LucasFilm is dubbing this in Navajo.

[Theresa]

I think it's pretty cool seeing "May the Force be with you"... (Adziil Nił Hólọ́ọ Le'!) translated into an ancient language. Now if I can only remember it.

[Theresa]

Dééh
Tea

The Navajo word dééh refers to tea, or Navajo (or Hopi) tea, in English.

The tea plant is abundant wherever there is a good source of water, which commonly includes the runoff areas from roads during monsoon season. The tea plant has wiry stalks and stems, and small yellow flowers at the tops. It grows about knee height and lower.

These plants are collected and bundled to a size about as thick as a broom handle, and about as tall as a soda can. Boil these bundles in water and you have Navajo tea.

Another word for tea is ch’il ahwééh, which is like saying “plant coffee.”


http://navajowotd.com/post/35065276716/deeh

[Theresa]

Bilagáana
White people

The idea behind the origin of the Navajo word bilagáana is not entirely clear. It’s meaning is, though. It’s the Navajo name for white people, or people of Caucasian descent. Irvy Goosen, an author of Navajo language teaching texts, posits the idea that it evolved from the word “Americano.” Since spoken Navajo has a history of adopting words, and since it doesn’t actively use “m” and “r” it’s plausible that it went through an intense adaption process to get the word we have today. The English language is referred to as “bilagáana bizaad” in Navajo. Pronunciation: “bill-la-gáa-na” with the tone starting high and falling through the long vowel after the g.


http://navajowotd.com/post/26579148569/bilagaana

[Theresa]

Ałk’ésdisí
Candy

The Navajo word ałk’ésdisí refers to something (a nominalized verb) that has been formed into a twist at either end.

This comes from the period that merchants and traders began to conduct business with the Diné. They brought not only essentials like flour, meat, and clothing, but also some extras like candy.

Ałk’ésdisí refers to candy. It’s hard to say whether all candies back in the day were twisted in shape, but many did have wrappers like today’s bubble gum or hard candies (like peppermints). Candy wrappers are twisted at both ends (or “twisted on top of each other”).

Today, ałk’ésdisí remains a colloquial term for all types of candy, even if they don’t have a twist to them.


http://navajowotd.com/post/43993571143/alkesdisi

[SnoopyDances]

And Hershey's Kisses!

[Theresa]

Atsiniltł’ish
Lightning, electricity

Literally: (this one’s complicated…)

This is the Navajo word for ‘lightning’ (also sometimes written as ‘atsinil-tlish). It’s also the word used for ‘electricity.’

The ‘tłish’ part is most likely referring to a sound, such as a loud clap (or, you can imagine a metal pot falling onto the hard floor).

It’s hard to say exactly what the ‘atsinil’ part references. (If you happen to know, I’d love your feedback!)


http://navajowotd.com/post/18061158132/atsiniltlish

[Theresa]

Adinídíín
Sunlight, light

This is the Navajo term for “sunlight” or, in a more general sense, simply “light.” Why does it sound a lot different from “lightning” (atsiniltł’ish)? That’s because the word for lightning references the accompanying sound of the flash of light. The more general word for light is used to refer to a more constant source of light.

However, the Navajo word for lighting is also the word for electricity, as you may remember. So using the previous word (of the day), you can say the following phrase to refer to electric light:

atsiniltł’ish bee adinídíín


http://navajowotd.com/post/20580263642/adinidiin

[Theresa]

Sháńdíín
Sunlight, Sunshine

The Navajo word sháńdíín means sunlight, or sunshine, in English.

It shares the same root (-díín) with adinídíín, but it specifically refers to the sun’s light - its beams or rays.

It’s the shared root that refers to something that is emitting light.

Sháńdíín is also used as a first name when it comes to naming newborn girls.


http://navajowotd.com/post/34839337276/shandiin

[fireflydances]

Lovely name for a baby girl. Light giving, a glow that all assembled can bask in.