biyeʼ (man’s son)
The Navajo word for son is biyeʼ (man’s son). Wiktionary also lists biyáázh.
Meaning: a male person in relation to his parents (noun)
Ways to say it
| Navajo | IPA |
|---|---|
| biyeʼ (man’s son) | |
| biyáázh | /pɪ̀jɑ́ːʒ/ |
The word is used to describe a male person in relation to his parents.
What does it mean word for word?
The term biyeʼ (man’s son) is a combination of the possessive prefix bi- meaning his/her and the word yeʼ meaning son.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Navajo, the word for son is inherently possessive. It is typically used with a possessive prefix such as bi- (his/her).
Did you know?
- In traditional Navajo culture, a son's relationship with his maternal uncle is often as significant as his relationship with his father.
- The word biyáázh descends from the ancient Proto-Athabaskan root *-yaˑžʷə.
- Because the word for 'son' is inherently possessive, it is linguistically impossible to name a son in a vacuum without also identifying the parent to whom he belongs.
Example sentences for Navajo are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “son” translations and entries biyáázh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries biyáázh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
