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Navajo Word of the Day: "Hurricane"

1,879 views · Published 31 October 2012 · 1:25 · Indexed 28 October 2026

Channel: daybreakwarrior · 2012 · Travel & Events

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I intended to do just one Navajo Word of the Day today. With all that is going on in the east coast, the Navajo-only speaking elderly are being kept in the know on things going on in the eastern part of the country. An example of that is how information is being disseminated through tribal newspapers and KTNN AM 660. Even though we are a desert people, we have words for things like "hurricanes."

The Navajo word for "hurricane" is "Tónteeldé̜é̜' Níyoltsoh." This word literally means, "the tornado from the sea." Though the word "níyoltsoh" means "big wind," it is the Navajo name for "tornado." The breakdown:

Tónteeldé̜é̜': from the ocean
Níyoltsoh: tornado

To use this word in a sentence, you can say "Tónteeldé̜é̜' Níyoltsoh Sandy wolyéhígíí éí kéyah NY nahós'a'jí̜ yik'i ch'íníyá," which means, "The hurricane known as Sandy traveled over & out of the New York area." The breakdown:

Tónteeldé̜é̜' Níyoltsoh: hurricane
Sandy wolyéhígíí: the one called Sandy
Éí: it
Kéyah: land
NY nahós'a'jí̜: in the area/region of New York
Yik'i ch'íníyá: it went over it (yik'i: on it; ch'íníyá: it traveled out)

I'm sorry to hear of the devastation that has occurred on the eastern seaboard of the US. My prayers go out to all the people affected by Hurricane Sandy.

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