lth-ih guh ee

We hope you had a good Labor Day Weekend!

A few days ago we featured the Navajo name for Monument Valley, or Tsé Bii’ Ndzisgaii. Notice the very last part of that word, -gaii. It’s the part that references today’s word.

Łigai, or łigaii (because the ‘ai’ and ‘aii’ diphthongs sound nearly identical), is the Navajo word for the color white.

White is part of the four cardinal colors of the Navajo people, symbolizing the sunrise and the eastern direction.

There’s also the word ‘dalgai (dalgaii, or daalgai, or daalgaii)’ that pluralizes the white aspect. So conversationally it would be equivalent to something like, “[go pick up those] white things.”

• Click here for more on Monument Valley, or Tsé Bii’ Ndzisgaii.
• Click here for more on the East, or ha’a’aah.