dził
/t͡sɪ̀ɬ/
The Navajo word for mountains is dził.
dził refers to large natural elevations of the earth's surface.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Navajo, the word dził is used for both the singular 'mountain' and the plural 'mountains'.
How do you pronounce it?
/tsɪ̀ɬ/
Did you know?
- In Navajo cosmology, the four sacred dził are not just landmarks but are seen as living entities that provide protection and stability to the people.
- The word dził shares a linguistic root with the verb stem -DZIL, which means 'to be strong, stable' or 'firm'.
- The word dził is part of a wider family of languages called Athabaskan, meaning it has cognates in languages spoken as far north as Alaska and Canada.
Examples in context
- dził dadiyinígííThe sacred mountainsThis sentence is useful for identifying dził in the context of the sacred mountains.
Example conversation
Justin and Michelle are looking at a landscape.
- JustinDził nidi'nił.The mountains are visible.
- MichelleHózhǫ́ǫ́go nihíyááł.They look beautiful.
- JustinDził yááł.Let's go to the mountain.
- MichelleÁą́kóh, t'aai łééh.Yes, just a little bit.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry dził, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dził, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
