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navajo language

 

            The Navajo Code TalkerÞs Dictionary When a Navajo code talker received a message, what he heard was a string of seemingly unrelated Navajo words. The code talker first had to translate each Navajo word into its English equivalent. Then he used only the first letter of the English equivalent in spelling an English word. Thus, the Navajo words "wol-la-chee" (ant), "be-la-sana" (apple) and "tse-nill" (axe) all stood for the letter "a." One way to say the word "Navy" in Navajo code would be "tsah (needle) wol-la-chee (ant) ah-keh-di-glini (victor) tsah-ah-dzoh (yucca)." As shown below, most letters had more than one Navajo word representing them. Not all words had to be spelled out letter by letter. The developers of the original code assigned Navajo words to represent about 450 frequently used military terms that did not exist in the Navajo language. Several examples: "besh-lo" (iron fish) meant "submarine," "dah-he-tih-hi" (hummingbird) meant "fighter plane" and "debeh-li-zini" (black sheep) meant "squad." A. (Wol-La Chee) - Ant .
             (Be-La-Sana) - Apple .
             (Tse-Nill) - Axe .
             B. (Na-Hash-Chid) - Badger .
             (Shush) - Bear (Toish-Jeh) - Barrel C. (Moasi) - Cat (Tla-Gin) - Coal (Ba-Goshi) - Cow D. (Be) - Deer (Chindi) - Devil (Lha-Cha-Eh) - Dog E. (Ah-Jah) - Ear (Dzeh) - Elk (Ah-Nah) - Eye F. (Chuo) - Fir (Tsa-E-Donin-Ee) - Fly (Ma-E) - Fox G. (Ah-Tad) - Girl (Klizzie) - Goat (Jeha) - Gum H. (Tse-Gah) - Hair (Cha) - Hat (Lin) - Horse I. (Tkin) - Ice (Yeh-Hes) - Itch f(A-Chi) - Intestine J. (Tkele-Cho-Gi) - Jackass (Ah-Ya-Tsinne) - Jaw (Yil-Doi) - Jerk K. (Jad-Ho-Loni) - Kettle (Ba-Ha-Ne-Di-Tinin) - Key (Klizzie-Yazzie) - Kid L. (Dibeh-Yazzie) - Lamb (Ah-Jad) - Leg (Nash-Doie-Tso) - Lion M. (Tsin-Tliti) - Match (Be-Tas-Tni) - Mirror (Na-As-Tso-Si) - Mouse N. (Tsah) - Needle (A-Chin) - Nose (Nesh-Chee) - Nut O. (A-Kha) - Oil (Tlo-Chin) - Onion (Ne-Ahs-Jah) - Owl P. (Cla-Gi-Aih) - Pant (Bi-So-Dih) - Pig (Ne-Zhoni) - Pretty Q.


Essays Related to navajo language

1. The Navajo Indians

THE NAVAJO INDIANS The Navajo Indians today are the largest Indian nation in the United States. ... However, even with all the other languages around them, they kept their language. ... Ceremonies also helped to keep the language alive. ... Today the Navajo language still remains and the Navajo's work hard to keep their culture alive. ... Navajo's today can learn the old ways through learning the language, watching or participating in ceremonies, attending the Navajo Community College, and learning from their extended family. ...

  • Word Count: 857
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

2. The Navajo

Dine (the people) is what the Navajo call themselves in their own language. ... The Navajo speak a language that belongs to the Athopaskan language group. Which most of Athopaskan languages are found in central Alaska and the inland areas of western Canada. ... Most Navajos lived dispersed all over the west, so most Navajo did not even hear about the ultimatum. ... The Navajo have no collective center for worship, no calendar dates to show for worship, and not one word or phrase in their language which can be translated as "religion". ...

  • Word Count: 866
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

3. History of the Navajo

The Navajo are one of the largest indigenous tribes of North America. ... Navajo Tribe The Navajo tribe of is located in the arid, Southwestern region of the United States. ... Although the Navajo language is primarily spoken, most members of the tribe speak English too. ... The military destroyed all in its path to defeat the Navajo. ... "Since the 1980's, Navajo Nation judges have injected a healthy dose of Navajo culture, language, and spiritual traditions into the entire Navajo Nation Court System, including its decision making aspects" "(Austin, 2009). ...

  • Word Count: 1851
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

4. The Navajo Code Talkers

A man named Philip Johnston came up with the idea to use the Navajo language as a communication code during World War II. The son of a missionary to the Navajos, Johnston was one of the few non-Navajo people able to fluently speak Navajo, because he'd lived with the Navajos for so many years. ... There had been previous attempts to use a Native American language as a communication code, but those attempts had failed due to the fact that the Indian language didn't contain words which related to "airplane", "tank", or "admiral". ... Jones, to use the Nav...

  • Word Count: 703
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography

5. Navajo Government

Navajo GovernmentThe Navajo Nation"s government is the largest tribal government in the country. ... The Navajo have a tribal council that was formed in 1922 when oil was discovered on the Navajo reservation. ... The reason the Navajo do not get a check simply for being Indian is that they were never driven off their "ancestral homeland.aENavajo Tribal courts decide disputes between Navajos and non-Navajos on the Navajo reservation. ... The court can be conducted in the Navajo language, English, or a mixture of both.The Navajo Nation was the first tribal nation to operate their own ed...

  • Word Count: 557
  • Approx Pages: 2

6. The Navajo Code Talkers

The Navajo language is difficult to pick up and at that time was not well known to the Japanese. ... Johnston was raised on a Navajo reservation where he became fluent in the language (Meadows). ... What made this code so difficult to break was the mere fact that nobody but the Navajo people could break the code, because they were the only people fluent in the language. The Japanese had no way to decipher the code since they couldn't break a code of a language that had never been written down, nor was it a widespread language. ... The United States Marine Corps took advantage of the dif...

  • Word Count: 616
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Has Bibliography

7. Code Talkers

Because of this fact, their language was very hard to learn or understand. ... To recruit for such an undertaking, the United States posted signs on most Navajo Reservations asking for help from any Navajo men who were willing. ... On December 21, 2000, the bill awarding the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers with Gold Medals and the other classified Navajo Code Talkers with Silver medals is signed into law. ... The Navajo language, along with an added layer, became the most successful and secure code that the United States or any country has ever used. Through its use it has never been crack...

  • Word Count: 1227
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Behind The Hopi-Navajo Land Dispute

The Diné language closely resembles the language family, Athapascan, coming out of Alaska/Canada. ... When it was rumored that gold was on Navajo land, Kit Carson to find and bring all the Navajo to Bosque Redondo, New Mexico. ... Boyden also hired an advertisement agency to discredit the Navajo Nation. ... The Navajo Reservation now has two convalescent homes, where none existed before. It is the elders who pass on the traditions and language to the children. ...

  • Word Count: 2144
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Code Talker - Chester Nez

Chester's native language was very important to him, and having to learn a new and unfamiliar language proved to be frustrating for himself and other students. ... This fit his Navajo way of life. ... The boarding schools at which Chester and his siblings attended tried to rid them of their native language and culture by making them learn English and adopt the Catholic religion. However, it was the Navajo language that saved so many lives in WWII. ... Perhaps it was because of their unique language that America won in the fight against Japan. ...

  • Word Count: 1635
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School