naatsʼǫǫdii
The Navajo word for dinosaur is naatsʼǫǫdii.
naatsʼǫǫdii is used to refer to a dinosaur, specifically a prehistoric reptile.
Meaning: prehistoric reptile (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is a compound where naatsʼǫǫ refers to something old or ancient and the suffix -dii is used to denote a characteristic or a specific type of thing, literally meaning "the one that is old/ancient".
Did you know?
- Because the Navajo language is agglutinative, naatsʼǫǫdii functions more like a sentence describing a creature than a single noun like 'dinosaur'.
- The word contains a nasalized vowel, meaning the speaker must direct air through the nose while pronouncing it, a technique absent in English.
- The word naatsʼǫǫdii uses a glottal stop, indicated by the apostrophe, which functions as a full consonant by momentarily closing the vocal cords.
Example conversation
Kyle and Sarah are looking at a museum exhibit.
- KyleSarah, naatsʼǫǫdii tʼáá ákótʼé!Sarah, look at the dinosaur!
- SarahHééʼąą́, naatsʼǫǫdii tʼáá ákótʼé.Yes, the dinosaur is huge.
- KyleNaatsʼǫǫdii tʼáá ííníjí tʼáá ákótʼé.The dinosaur is really large.
- SarahTʼáá ákótʼé.It really is.
