gáagii
/kɑ̂ːkìː/
The Navajo word for crow is gáagii.
The term gáagii is used to refer to any bird belonging to the genus Corvus.
Meaning: any bird of the genus Corvus (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/kɑ̂ːkìː/
Did you know?
- Navajo speakers use gáagii for both crows and ravens, as the language categorizes these birds together regardless of their size.
- The name gáagii is onomatopoeic, meaning it was created to mimic the actual sound the bird makes.
- Navajo is part of the Athabaskan language family, and you can see this connection in the way the word 'crow' sounds similar to the word for 'bird' in Ahtna, which is ggaaggi.
Examples in context
- Gáagii deeshąą.There is a crow.
- Gáagii yáʼátʼéé.The crow is good.
Example conversation
Kyle and Amanda are walking outside in the countryside.
- KyleDááʼ gáagii yááł.Look, a crow is flying.
- AmandaÁáá, tʼáá łééchxíín.Oh, it is very black.
- KyleGáagii tʼáá ákooda.Crows are just like that.
- AmandaHaaʼi, tʼáá áádááł.Yes, it is truly so.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crow” translations and entries gáagii, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gáagii, CC BY-SA 4.0.
