ayęęzhii
/ʔɑ̀jẽ̀ːʒìː/
The English phrase "eggs" is translated into Navajo as ayęęzhii.
ayęęzhii refers to the oval objects produced by female birds or other animals that contain a developing embryo.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʔɑ̀jẽ̀ːʒìː/
Did you know?
- In Navajo culture, the 'egg' is often linked to the concept of emergence and the beginning of life cycles in traditional creation stories.
- Because Navajo is a verb-heavy language, many terms for objects like 'eggs' function more like descriptions of what an object is doing or its state of being.
- The Navajo word ayęęzhii is an inherited term from Proto-Athabaskan, a reconstructed ancestral language spoken thousands of years ago.
Example conversation
Sarah and Kyle are in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
- SarahKyle, ayęęzhii nishłééh?Kyle, do you have eggs?
- KyleÁá', ayęęzhii nihí tʼáá ákoodááł.Yes, we have some eggs.
- SarahAyęęzhii bee nishłééh.I will cook with eggs.
- KyleAhéhee, Sarah.Thank you, Sarah.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ayęęzhii, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ayęęzhii, CC BY-SA 4.0.
