béégashii bitsįʼ
/péːkɑ̀ʃìː pɪ̀t͡sʰĩ̀ʔ/
The Navajo word for beef is béégashii bitsįʼ.
Meaning: meat (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is a compound where béégashii means 'cow' and bitsįʼ means 'its meat'.
How do you pronounce it?
/péːkɑ̀ʃìː pɪ̀tsʰĩ̀ʔ/
Did you know?
- The Navajo word for 'cow' is actually a loanword from Spanish, 'béégashii', which stems from 'vacas'.
- In Navajo culture, sheep and cattle are often symbols of wealth and survival, making terms like béégashii bitsįʼ central to discussions of prosperity.
- Because cattle were introduced by Europeans, Navajo has many terms for livestock that are adapted from Spanish rather than being native words.
Examples in context
- Béégashii bitsįʼ yáʼátʼéé.The beef is good.
Example conversation
Jessica and Brandon are planning a meal together.
- JessicaBéégashii bitsįʼ łį́į́h.Buy some beef.
- BrandonÁáko, tʼáá ákótʼééh.Okay, I will do that.
- JessicaBéégashii bitsįʼ łání hólǫ́?Do you have a lot of beef?
- BrandonDoo, tʼáá ákótʼééh.No, just a little.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beef” translations and entries béégashii bitsįʼ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries béégashii, béégashii bitsįʼ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
