dinilchííʼ
The Navajo word for pink is dinilchííʼ.
The word dinilchííʼ is used as an adjective to describe a color that is between red and white. It can also function as a noun to refer to the color pale red.
Meaning: colored/coloured between red and white (adj)
Related words
Did you know?
- In Navajo, colors are not just labels but are linked to cardinal directions and spiritual states, where red is traditionally associated with the East.
- The word dinilchííʼ is derived from the Proto-Athabaskan root *də-ł-də-čiˑgʸ, connecting the modern Navajo term to ancient languages spoken across Alaska and Canada.
- The grammatical structure of dinilchííʼ includes a classifier and a verb stem, treating the color more like a description of an action or a state of being than a simple noun.
Examples in context
- Dinilchííʼ áłtēgo.It is pink.
- Dinilchííʼ bídą́ą́ʼ.It is a pink one.
Example conversation
Michelle and Tyler are looking at some clothes.
- MichelleDinilchííʼ yishį́į́ʼ.I bought a pink one.
- TylerÁádááʼ lání yishį́į́ʼ.I bought a blue one.
- MichelleDinilchííʼ tʼááłáʼí łíní.The pink one is pretty.
- TylerHózhóóh.It is beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pink” translations and entries dinilchííʼ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dinilchííʼ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
