"When the Badger Grows Horns" Glossary
Navajo Glossary
(words in order of appearance)
Diné - “The People,” the name by which the Navajo Nation referred to themselves officially until the early 1970s; many Navajo still call themselves Diné
Ashiihi - Salt Clan
Dinétah - “Among the People,” name of the Navajo homeland
Diné bizaad - the Navajo language
Amá Sání / Shimásání - maternal grandmother (the shi- prefix indicates first person possession)
’Aii chidí doo nín’zin’ígíí da - That car is not that which you want.
Yáát’ééh - Greetings (which was frequently and unfortunately used as the standard Indian greeting in B Westerns, regardless of tribe-in McLintock!, for example, the extras look somewhat bemused that the Comanche characters greet each other in Navajo!)
Kót’ée ga’ Diné bikéyahdi - That’s the way it is in Navajo country.
Shizhé’é yéé ho’ałtsosįįh yínaashineeztą́ą́ - My father taught me everything he knew.
ei’ nishli - I am born to (my mother’s clan is)
Tódích’íi’nii - Bitter Water Clan
bá shíshchíín - I am born for (my father’s clan is)
Ahéhee’ - Thank you
Bilagáana - Anglo-American
Tséghadínídinii - Crystal Rock Clan
Nít’éego niidooshąął - I love you just the way you are.
K’ad’ee’, tsį́į́łgo - Now will be a good time, hurry.
shiyéyóó - my beloved husband
Bitsii’ łichxíí - Red Hair
hádí biniinaa ’ást’į bik’i’diishtííh. Doo haa nihish’į ’įst’į baa jiinishba’. Doo... yishąąd. - I understand why he acts that way. And I forgive him (for) what it does to us. And... I love him.
Nilchíní niidlį́į́. - We’re your children.
yinishyé - I am called
bíká nimí, nihimásání - after your mother, our grandmother
dóone’é - clan
shitsílí bidiné - my younger brother is called
bíká nizhé’é, nihicheii - after your father, our grandfather
Bénáshnii - I remember it
Zhini - African-American
yei (plural yeii) - protective/healing spirit that mediates between the Diné and their gods, invoked in the Night Chant ritual by yei bi chei dancers and sand paintings
Haidzaa? - What happened?
chindí - evil spirits
’Akonee’ - you’ll see
chidí bi’tiin - highway
shiye’ - my son
Nidáá - Enemy Way ceremony
’Áhóódin - There’s no such thing.
hooghan góne’ ninááh - go inside the house
Bináá’ łitso - Yellow Eyes
Ąą’? - Well?
Bóhólníihii bidiyingo yá Dį́’íjį́ Nida’anish - angel of the Lord for Thursday
Bináá’ yágo dootł’izh - Blue Eyes
Hait’éegochą’? - Why?
Shinálí hastįį! Shinálí hastįį! Shoo, shoo! Naaltsoos-miil shaa níyá!! - Grandfather! Grandfather! Look, look! Thousand Books came to me!!
Hágoónee’, shinálíké - Goodbye, my grandsons
Sołtį’ - Let’s go
Chapter Titles:
1 - Sometime in the Morning
2 - Our House Is a [Very, Very,] Very Fine House
3 - Monster Slayer and He Who Cuts the Life Out of the Enemy
4 - I Make the Family Business My Occupation
Epilogue - My Brother Will Come for Me
Navajo spelling isn’t standardized; I’ve had to cobble together the few lines of dialogue from “In the Beginning” and “The Song Remains the Same” that I’ve translated into Diné bizaad using several different sources that used different orthographic conventions, so I’m not sure I’ve been consistent. And since I didn’t know more than a word or two of Navajo when I started this story, I didn’t dare try anything more complicated! But many, many thanks to kcrenegade for running it by a native speaker for me.
Pronunciation:
Navajo is a tonal language that has no diphthongs. A single vowel without an accent is a low tone; a single vowel with an accent is a high tone; a hook under a vowel indicates that it is nasal. Doubled vowels are held longer, but the pronunciation does not change; if only the second is accented, it is a rising tone; if only the first is accented, it is a falling tone.
a = ah (as in father)
e = eh (as in they)
i = ee (as in police)
o = oh (as in note)
’ = glottal stop (think of a Cockney saying “li’le me’al bo’letops”)
gh = like the g in saguaro
ł = voiceless l (similar to Welsh ll)
j = similar to the dg in judge or to Russian dzh
Gaelic Glossary
Bithidh sinn nior air rugadh - We will never have been born.
mo bhràthair - my brother
tha am pathadh orm - I’m thirsty
Dè ghabhas tu? - What will you have?
Uisge - Water
Glè mhath - Very well.