ch ill bill lut tah nih zhon nih

Yá’át’ééh!

Today’s Navajo word, ch’il bíláhtah nizhóní, refers to a flower.

This is a descriptive phrase, meaning that it can change depending on how one chooses to describe a flower.

The first part of the word, ch’il evokes the image of greenery, but not the type that grows larger and larger year after year. It’s more a seasonal greenery.

The next part, bíláhtah, means “on top of it” (as opposed to bitah, which can mean “among it”).

The final part is one of the more well-known words – nizhóní. This means it is beautiful, pretty, or pleasing.