bįįh
/pĩ̀ːh/
The Navajo word for deer is bįįh.
bįįh is a noun used to refer to animals belonging to the family Cervidae.
Meaning: animal of the family Cervidae (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/pĩ̀ːh/
Did you know?
- Navajo-speaking elders may avoid direct names of animals like bįįh in certain traditional settings to maintain spiritual harmony.
- In some Navajo storytelling traditions, the deer is personified and given human-like wisdom, often acting as a teacher to human characters.
- Because Navajo is a verb-heavy language, describing the 'deer' often involves using verbs that describe its specific actions or qualities rather than just the noun 'bįįh'.
Examples in context
- Bįįh há nideiilzheeh.We are hunting for deer.This sentence shows how to use bįįh when talking about hunting.
Example conversation
Kyle and Sarah are walking in the woods.
- KyleSarah, bįįh híįh!Sarah, there is a deer!
- SarahHóóndá bįįh híįh.There is a deer over there.
- KyleBįįh hágóóyáá.The deer is running away.
- SarahT'áá áádááł.It is gone.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “deer” translations and entries bįįh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
