Navajo Profile

Some months ago, I consciously decided to definitely learn Navajo.

Before, I was contemplating on it for a while, playing with the idea in my head, weighing in the pros and cons, asking myself if I’m ready for the trials and tribulations of learning and most importantly the benefit I would reap if I do try to learn it. My interest started when I wanted to learn Cherokee as a teen because I feel that since I’m of Cherokee descent, I must learn Cherokee (yeah, I know, sad, I should Yoruban while I’m at it).  I felt that I need to learn a Native American languages. I mean I’m learning European languages, Asian languages including Russian, Farsi and Vietnamese, and I’d like to add African but I’m still looking around (I just feel there’s more to Africa than Swahili–gosh, is my ignorance showing?). Ha, I am even taking a liking in Polynesian languages.   In spite of the availability of resources, I just feel that it’s inaccessible (or I’m just not trying hard enough).  Then I learn about Navajo’s status and how prominent it is in spite of its endangerment,  as well as the availability.  So I added Navajo.

What is Navajo

Navajo is a Native American language of the Navajo Nation or Diné. It’s a tonal language, I guess like Mandarin and Vietnamese, and it’s closely related to Apache language or so I heard.

The Facts, Ma’am, Just the Facts

Native Name: Diné bizaad (as you may have guessed, bizaad means language)

Spoken in: Southwest region of the United States

Language Family: Dené-Yeniseian

• Na-Dené
  • Athabaskan-Eyak
    • Athabaskan
      • Southern Athabaskan
        • Southwestern Apache
          • Western
            • Navajo

Apparently many people from the Navajo Nation are preserving the Navajo language through teaching the younger generation. There are programs, workshops and even college courses available on campus and online, and if I’m not mistaken I believe that it’s a requirement to know how to speak Navajo on the Navajo reservation, er Nation.

Basics

Basic Pronunciation:

Vowels:

• short, as in a and e
• long, as in aa and ee
• nasalized, as in ą and ę
• nasalized long, as in ąą and ęę

Tones

• high, as in áá and éé,
• low, as in aa and ee,
• rising, as in aá and eé or
• falling, as in áa and ée.

The good sites to check out for more basic info are wiki, omniglot, and native-language.  I added other links to my blog list on the side  of the page.  This video can get you started.

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