shį́
/ʃĩ́/
The Navajo word for the hottest season, summer, is shį́.
shį́ is used to refer to the summer season, specifically characterizing it as the hottest time of year.
Meaning: hottest season (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃĩ́/
Did you know?
- The word shį́ shares a distant linguistic ancestor with languages spoken in the far north of Alaska and Canada.
- The word shį́ is built from a root meaning 'to become summer', treating the entire season as an ongoing action of change.
- In traditional Navajo culture, shį́ is not just a date on a calendar but is recognized by the specific way the desert landscape changes and provides different foods.
Examples in context
- Shį́įgo deesdoi łeh.It’s usually hot in the summer.This sentence is useful for describing how the weather typically behaves during shį́.
Example conversation
Kyle and Michelle are talking about the weather.
- KyleShį́ t'áá łééh t'áá hólǫ́.It is just summer.
- MichelleÁáhoot'ááł shį́ t'áá łééh.Summer is very hot.
- KyleYáá yázhééh.Yes, it is.
- MichelleShį́ t'áá łééh hólǫ́.It is summer.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “summer” translations and entries shį́, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries shį́, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
