gini
The Navajo word for hawk is gini.
gini is a noun used to refer to a predatory bird belonging to the Accipitridae family.
Meaning: predatory bird of Accipitridae (noun)
Did you know?
- In some Navajo oral traditions, the name of a powerful predator like gini might be avoided or substituted to show respect and prevent attracting its attention.
- Navajo is a verb-heavy language, so even a noun like gini is often integrated into complex verbal structures to describe the bird's actions or its relationship to the speaker.
- While English uses 'hawk' broadly, Navajo uses highly specific descriptors to distinguish between different species of predatory birds.
Examples in context
- Gini bee dįį́.It is a hawk.
Example conversation
Sarah and Tyler are looking at the sky together.
- SarahTyler, gini yishłééh!Tyler, I see a hawk!
- TylerTʼáá áłtsé yishłééh.I see it right now.
- SarahGini tʼáá ííníyááʼ.The hawk is very high up.
- TylerÁádá ałtsé yishłééh.I've never seen one before.
