Navajo (Diné bizaad)

lacustrine
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Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby lacustrine » 2011-01-17, 16:54

Limoneneis, just wondering how your Navajo is coming. I have the same book you're working from which I've been looking at (infrequently) trying to decide if I really want to get into it.

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limoneneis
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Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby limoneneis » 2011-01-17, 17:31

Hi Lacustrine, I am still learning, I just started Lesson 13. The book is really good. I always try to memorize the dialog at the beginning of each lesson. Then I read through the grammar/vocabulary notes and use the recordings of the verb charts as listening practice. I also recommend to work through the book "Navajo Verbs" at the same time, because the textbook doesn't really explain how the verbs are built in detail. Hope you'll give it a try! That would be great to have another learner :D !
[flag=]kl[/flag][flag=]ja[/flag]

księżycowy

Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby księżycowy » 2011-01-17, 18:49

limoneneis wrote:I also recommend to work through the book "Navajo Verbs" at the same time, because the textbook doesn't really explain how the verbs are built in detail.

I had wondered about that myself.
How in-depth does Goossen’s book go into the verb system?
I take it it does go over some stuff.
Also, how difficult are you finding the verb system?

lacustrine
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Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby lacustrine » 2011-01-17, 20:47

księżycowy wrote:I had wondered about that myself.
How in-depth does Goossen’s book go into the verb system?


Goossen goes into the verbs to a moderate degree. His book is definitely not for the faint of heart when it comes to grammatical terms (of course, none of us here are faint of heart in that area! :D ).
But it is not a book dedicated to the Navajo verb at all. It was written to get you speaking but it does include verb information throughout the book and also paradigms in the back. They are not exhaustive but, I'm guessing, they give you the most common forms of the most common verbs.

On Google books you can view nearly complete "previews" of the following books on Navajo verbs:

The Navajo Verb by Leonard Falz.
The Navajo Verb System by Robert Young.

I have actually ordered the latter and will have it this week.
I'm not really thwarted by the amount of prefixes that an Navajo verb stem can have. What seems so difficult is the order they compound and the complex phonological changes they undergo in the process. That's what makes the Navajo verb seem so impenetrable.

księżycowy

Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby księżycowy » 2011-01-17, 22:23

Thanks for the info. I have Goossen's book, but I'm thinking of using that after I go through a few others I have.
I have Breakthrough Navajo and Speak Navajo: An Intermediate Text (both by Wilson), and I have to say that from the perspective of a noob those are some good books. They don't go into the parts of verbs, they just give the full forms as the verbs and tenses are introduced through out.
Though I know that for me personally the underlying grammar will get the best of me, thus having Goossen will be a good thing. I'll probably to pick up a copy of The Navajo Verb: A Grammar for Students and Scholars soon too. Though I'm not planning on working on Navajo soon. I want to get Oneida out of the way first (after I'm done with Mohawk and Arapaho of course! :P). Probably sometime in the summer I'll start Navajo. :)

While we're on the subject, can anyone recommend a good Navajo dictionary?

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limoneneis
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Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby limoneneis » 2011-01-18, 16:20

I am using the book by Leonard Falz. He explains everything step by step and I find it really easy to follow the explanations even if you are not a linguist. Whenever linguistic terms are used they are explained first in a way that assumes no previous knowledge. He then derives a set of rules from his explanations, and you can use these rules to build your own verbs. The rules are also summarized in the back, so you can always refer to the pages in the back when building your verbs.
I think it's not too hard to understand the structure of the verbs. I think the most difficult part is to remember the order of the prefixes and all the rules for the different tenses (or modes as they are called in the book). But now if I see a verb most of the time I can already tell what parts it is made up of and that also makes it easier to remember new verbs.
[flag=]kl[/flag][flag=]ja[/flag]

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Formiko
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Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby Formiko » 2011-01-18, 23:09

księżycowy wrote:
While we're on the subject, can anyone recommend a good Navajo dictionary?


http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?index=b ... 0826338259
Cherokee Indian STILL improving German.
Getting reacquainted with Swahili Msaada!
In no particular order
[flag]eo[/flag][flag]de[/flag][flag]es[/flag][flag]yo[/flag][flag]chr[/flag][flag]ru[/flag]

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Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby księżycowy » 2011-01-19, 11:26

Was hoping for something a little cheaper, but thanks none the less.
I'll have some time to save up anyway . . .

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Formiko
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Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby Formiko » 2011-01-19, 11:53

księżycowy wrote:Was hoping for something a little cheaper, but thanks none the less.
I'll have some time to save up anyway . . .


That's the best I've come across. Until then, there are plenty of good PDFS
Cherokee Indian STILL improving German.
Getting reacquainted with Swahili Msaada!
In no particular order
[flag]eo[/flag][flag]de[/flag][flag]es[/flag][flag]yo[/flag][flag]chr[/flag][flag]ru[/flag]

księżycowy

Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby księżycowy » 2011-01-19, 13:14

Nah, it's fine. I'll save up for it while I'm learning Navajo.

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limoneneis
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Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby limoneneis » 2011-03-19, 9:40

Navajo has different words for giving things depending on the shape of the object. :shock:
[flag=]kl[/flag][flag=]ja[/flag]

johnH

Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby johnH » 2011-03-20, 7:26

Apache and navajo are definitely up on the list of language I want to learn.

księżycowy

Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby księżycowy » 2011-03-21, 12:48

I'd recommend A Practical Grammar Of San Carlos Apache for learning Apache, which I've linked to in the 'Learning Resources' thread. It's the single best textbook for Apache that I've seen. A bit pricey, but well worth the money.

johnH

Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby johnH » 2011-03-21, 23:20

thanks alot.

księżycowy

Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby księżycowy » 2011-03-22, 9:47

The only unfortunately thing about the Apache textbook is it doesn't have any audio. But since you're thinking of doing Navajo as well, it shouldn't be a problem, as Navajo has plenty of resources with audio.

Anyway, happy to help. :)

johnH

Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby johnH » 2011-03-23, 21:50

limoneneis wrote:Navajo has different words for giving things depending on the shape of the object. :shock:


no one will be surprised when I say all these peculiarities sound awesome.

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limoneneis
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Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby limoneneis » 2011-05-01, 10:34

I just did an exercise from my book. You had to write a dialog. If anybody speaks Navajo, please let me know what you think and feel free to correct it.

A: Hahgo Tségháhoodzánígóó diit'ash?
B: Hóla, hahgo shį́į́ ákǫ́ǫ́ diit'ash sha'shin. Naakiską́o abíńdą́ą́' diit'ash ya'?
A: T'áá shį́į́ áko. Neeznáadigo niba' sédáa doo. Tségháhoodzánígóósh hwííní'į́?
B: Ndaga', doo hweesh'į́į da.
A: Shí éiyá ná hweesh'į́į doo.
B: Hágoshį́į́, damóo yázhí shiba' sínídáa doo.
A: Lą́'ąą. Hágoónee'.
B: Hágoónee'.
[flag=]kl[/flag][flag=]ja[/flag]

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Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby księżycowy » 2011-05-01, 12:51

Might have to wait until Formiko comes back. I haven't seen him around lately.

And that's interesting. My Mohawk textbook has you do that at the end of every lesson.

johnH

Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby johnH » 2011-06-27, 10:02

what no fermiko, the state took him :cry: ...On the topic of Navajo, thats one great peculiarity.

księżycowy

Re: Navajo (Diné bizaad)

Postby księżycowy » 2011-06-27, 12:24

johnH wrote:what no fermiko, the state took him :cry: ...

I have a feeling he'll be back. Just don't know when.


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