naalʼeełí
/nɑ̀ːlʔèːɬɪ́/
The Navajo word for duck is naalʼeełí.
naalʼeełí is a noun used to refer to an aquatic bird of the family Anatidae.
Meaning: aquatic bird of the family Anatidae (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/nɑ̀ːlʔèːɬɪ́/
Did you know?
- Because Navajo is an Athabaskan language, the structure of naalʼeełí is related to languages spoken in Alaska and Canada rather than neighboring Spanish.
- The sound ɬ in naalʼeełí is a voiceless lateral fricative, a sound that does not exist in standard English.
- The word naalʼeełí is not a name for a bird, but a description of its behavior. It comes from the verb naalʼeeł, which means 'to droop about'.
Example sentences for Navajo are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Justin and Amanda are walking by a pond.
- JustinNaalʼeełí bee ádaʼnił.Look, there is a duck.
- AmandaÁá', naalʼeełí tʼáá áání.Yes, the duck is swimming.
- JustinShí kʼééʼyááł naalʼeełí bił.I like the duck.
- AmandaShí tʼáá áání.I do too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “duck” translations and entries naalʼeełí, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries naalʼeełí, CC BY-SA 4.0.
