óola
/ʔôːlà/
The English word "gold" is translated into Navajo as óola, meaning "made of gold" or "golden".
óola is an adjective used to describe something that is made of gold or has the appearance of being golden.
Meaning: made of gold, golden (adj)
How do you pronounce it?
/ʔôːlà/
Did you know?
- In traditional Navajo culture, turquoise is often more spiritually and culturally significant than óola (gold).
- The term óola can be a homonym in Navajo because it was also borrowed from the Spanish word hora, meaning 'hour' or 'o'clock'.
- Navajo is a tonal language, meaning the pitch used to say óola can change the word's meaning entirely.
Example conversation
Tyler and Amanda are looking at jewelry.
- TylerDíí t'ááłááʼ óola?Is this ring gold?
- AmandaÁáʼ, óola t'ááłááʼ yinai.Yes, it is a gold ring.
- TylerT'ááłááʼ óola t'áá łéigháhí.Gold rings are very expensive.
- AmandaHózhǫ́óh, t'ááłááʼ óola łichííʼ.It's beautiful, the gold ring is shiny.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry óola, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries óola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
