naaldlooshii
/nɑ̀ːlt͡lòːʃìː/
The English word "animal" is translated into Navajo as naaldlooshii.
The term naaldlooshii is a noun used to refer to any living organism that is not a human being.
Meaning: organism other than human (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/nɑ̀ːltlòːʃìː/
Did you know?
- The word naaldlooshii literally describes the action of 'trotting about' rather than the biological nature of the creature. This focus on movement over essence is a common way Navajo identifies living things.
- Because Navajo is an Athabaskan language, its words for animals often share ancient roots with languages spoken in Alaska and Canada, far from the American Southwest.
- The morphological structure of naaldlooshii shows that in Navajo, the line between a state of being and an action is very thin. A noun is often just a verb that has been 'frozen' into a name.
Example conversation
Jessica and Kyle are looking at a creature in the woods.
- JessicaNaaldlooshii łichííʼ bee naʼashjéʼé?Is that red animal a rabbit?
- KyleHáyóó, naaldlooshii tʼáá ákótʼé.Yes, it is an animal like that.
- JessicaNaaldlooshii yááʼááł.The animal is eating.
- KyleTʼáá áleʼ naaldlooshii łééchąąʼ.That animal is a fish.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry naaldlooshii, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
