mąʼii
/mɑ̃̀ʔìː/
The Navajo word for coyote is mąʼii.
mąʼii is used to refer to the canine species known as a coyote.
Meaning: canine (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/mɑ̃̀ʔìː/
Did you know?
- While mąʼii translates to 'coyote', the character is often depicted in folklore as a creator or transformer who helped shape the world for humans.
- The term mąʼii is part of a linguistic family that shows how closely related the Navajo and Apache peoples are through their shared history.
- In some traditional contexts, talking about mąʼii can be used as a metaphor for someone who is behaving mischievously or unpredictably.
Example sentences for Navajo are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Jessica and Kyle see an animal in the field.
- JessicaHózhǫ́ǫ́ mąʼii yáá.A happy coyote is running.
- KyleÁádóó mąʼii tʼáá ááníghá.Now the coyote is very loud.
- JessicaMąʼii yáá tʼáá ááníghá.The coyote is running loudly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coyote” translations and entries mąʼii, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
