Birthday Project 2013--Navajo Word of the Day

[Theresa]

Ch’iyáán (ch’yáán)
Food, Groceries

Your word for today is ch’iyáán, which is the Navajo word for food, and also groceries.

Are you a chef? Or a really good cook? You could say ch’iyáán ííł’íní (íį́ł’į́ - “he makes it". Ííł’į́ commonly becomes ííł’íní when it’s done over and over again as with one who does it as their occupation. So words like ‘chef,’ and ‘carpenter’ use this to describe their particular occupation in Navajo.) to describe someone who makes food (as an occupation).

What do people who make food use to organize recipes? A cookbook, or ch’iyáán ííł’íní binaaltsoos (the one who makes food, his book).


http://navajowotd.com/post/28141945763/ch-iyaan

[Theresa]

I'm one day late...but hey, doughnuts are good any day!

Bááh Łikání Bighạ́hoodzání
Doughnut

Since today (June 7) is National Doughnut Day, what would be a more fitting word for a word of the day than doughnuts?
To say doughnuts in Navajo, you say: Bááh Łikání Bighạ́hoodzání!

The breakdown:
Bááh: bread
Łikání: the sweet one
Bighạ́hoodzání: it has a hole in it

There is a slang way of saying doughnuts in Navajo: Hastóí Bits'ẹ́ẹ́'
(A Man's Belly Button)

The breakdown:
Hastóí: a man
Bits'ẹ́ẹ́': his belly button

So, I hope you enjoy National Doughnut Day, & as I say in the video:

Bááh łikání bighạ́hoodzání hólọ́ọ́góó díínááł...
Go to a place that has doughnuts...

...dóó ahwééh bił díídlííł!
...and have it with coffee!
(ahwééh is another way to say gohwééh, or coffee)

Have a nice day!
-Daybreak Warrior

[youtube]7d2BUW68aRE[/youtube]

[Theresa]

Our final Navajo Word of the Day is a very appropriate birthday wish for Johnny!

Baa Hózhǫ́ǫgo Nidizhchí
Happy Birthday to you

Today’s special phrase is Navajo for “Happy Birthday (to you)”.

In the popular English tune (which is copyrighted, amazingly) this phrase would take the place of the first line. In order to fit the tune, most high tones and nasal marks are disregarded, so it would resemble “The Birthday Song”.


http://navajowotd.com/post/37721872344/ ... -nidizhchi


I'd like to say Ahéhee’ (Thank you) to everyone who took a bit of their time to come read this past month's words. I hope you all enjoyed it, and maybe learned a little bit, too.