des dewey

Deesdoi is the Navajo word for extremely warm, or hot.

Temperature-wise, it’s a relative term that is used to speak about the weather, or an area/space. This term is not used to describe things that are hot to the touch, like a cup of hot coffee or a grill.

“Shił deesdoi” (I am hot), is one way that you can say that the air is hot (to you).

yah eesh jah sh tsoh

This is one of the names for the calendar month of July.

It’s remarkably similar to the name for June, but you’ll notice the -tsoh particle has been changed in.

The name simply denotes the progression of the planting season towards taller corn stalks and greater growth.

Navajo Language (Diné Bizaad) - Word of the Day - Ya’iishjááshtsoh

uh zeh ee-lth in ih

The literal definition of Azee’ííł’íní is the one that makes medicine.

We’re introducing two words in this Navajo name for doctor: medicine (azee’) and “he makes it’ (íi̛ł’į́).

Ííł’į́ commonly becomes ííł’íní when it’s done over and over again as with one who does it as their occupation. So words like ‘chef,’ and ‘carpenter’ use this to describe their particular occupation in Navajo.

t ohh ah ha yew we

Today’s phrase is Navajo for “many” or “much” or “a lot.”

It’s used in reference to the quantity of something.

Here’s a sentence that demonstrates a simple usage:

Tł’oh waa’í t’óó ahayóí!

“[There is] a lot of alfalfa!”

yeh goh

Perhaps you’ve been around some Navajos and during an activity of some sort someone exclaims Yéigo! Maybe it’s at a basketball game (or any sporting event), or in the kitchen trying to open a stubborn jar cap, or in the classroom when someone asks you a question and you’re trying hard to recall the answer.

There are a myriad of situations in which yéigo may apply. As you may have guessed, it’s meaning approximates to “with great effort, do [it]” or “try with much dedication.” It almost takes on the exclamation, “Harder!” but isn’t as harsh in the most extreme cases.

Yéigo ííníłta'!