amá sání
/ʔɑ̀mɑ́ sɑ́nɪ́/
Grandmother in Navajo is amá sání for your mother's mother, while análí is used on your father's side. If unsure, use amá sání.
Meaning: mother of someone's parent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Navajo | IPA |
|---|---|
| amá sání | /ʔɑ̀mɑ́ sɑ́nɪ́/ |
| análí | /ʔɑ̀nɑ́lɪ́/ |
Navajo uses different words for grandparents on each side of the family. amá sání is the mother's mother and análí is a grandparent on the father's side.
What does it mean word for word?
amá sání contains amá, mother, followed by sání.
Which one should you use?
análí can mean a paternal grandmother or grandfather and also a great aunt or great uncle on the father's side.
How does it change in a sentence?
Kinship words usually carry a possessive prefix. Adding shi gives shimá sání, my grandmother and shinálí, my paternal grandparent.
How do you pronounce it?
amá sání is pronounced /ʔɑ̀mɑ́ sɑ́nɪ́/, in two words with high tones on most syllables.
Did you know?
- The word sání may be a cognate with the word sīn in the Ket language, spoken in Siberia.
- Navajo kinship terms like análí are often used to categorize a whole group of relatives on one side of the family rather than identifying a specific individual.
Examples in context
- shinálíMy paternal grandfather, my paternal grandmother, my paternal great-uncle, my paternal great-auntshinálí covers several relatives on the father's side, not only the grandmother.
- shimá sáníMy grandmother, my great-auntshimá sání can also mean my great aunt.
Example conversation
Jessica and Brandon are looking at an old family photograph.
- JessicaAmá sání t'áá łééʼ łóóʼ.Grandmother is very beautiful.
- BrandonÁáʼyee łááʼ.She is.
- JessicaAmá sání níyééʼ.It is grandmother.
- BrandonHózhóóh.That is wonderful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandmother” translations and entries amá sání, análí, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amá, sání, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
