áshįįh
The Navajo word for salt is áshįįh.
áshįįh is used to refer to the chemical compound sodium chloride.
Meaning: sodium chloride (noun)
Did you know?
- The connection between the Navajo word áshįįh and the Siberian Ket word тәʼ suggests a linguistic link that spans thousands of miles and across continents.
- In traditional Navajo culture, salt is often associated with the East and the color white in ceremonial contexts.
- The phonetic structure of áshįįh includes a nasalized vowel, a sound that does not exist in English and is essential for the word to be understood.
Examples in context
- Áshįįh tʼáá ákwíí.The salt is very white.
Example conversation
Amanda and Tyler are cooking together in the kitchen.
- AmandaÁshįįh tʼáá áákʼééh?Is there any salt?
- TylerÁáł, áshįįh łééʼyááł.Yes, the salt is over there.
- AmandaÁshįįh bee łééchą́ą́ʼ.I will put salt in the water.
- TylerTʼáá ákótʼééh.That is correct.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “salt” translations and entries áshįįh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries áshįįh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
