About the Navajo language

Today we are travelling to the wild west, to the borderless lands of North America. We’re going to explore the language of the people who lived here long before Europeans arrived - Navajo, a language of incredible beauty and complexity.
Link to my Patreon account: / julingo
Music used:
Magic Rhythm by Farrell Wooten
It's an Adventure by Riverworn
Videos used:
Navajo President speaks
• Navajo President speaks
Louva Dahozy - Navajo Broadcaster - Living History
• Louva Dahozy - Navajo ...
Radmilla Cody - A Beautiful Dawn Music Video
• Radmilla Cody - A Beau...
TEDxPhoenix 2010 Jolyana Bitsui - What it means to be a Navajo woman
• TEDxPhoenix 2010 Jolya...
#nativeamerican #linguistics #nadene

[@sparkymularkey6970]

Diné Bizaad! The language of my people! Thank you so much for making this video. It makes my heart happy to see our culture and language being shared with the world.

[@GenetetIncorporated]

Do you speak it personally? So many minor languages are endangered, too few speakers, most of them in old age, and scarce transmission to the young (mostly out of suppressing to better fit in :-(

[@johngrant1882]

America should be thanking you.

[@bonnierusie9631]

Please help me, me friends Daddy called her Pecubis (spelling probably so wrong) but he was Navajo. He's passed now, but she said thats what he called her and passed before she could ask the meaning.

[@bonnierusie9631]

What does it mean?

[@ade910]

The language of white people?

[@keneke5162]

Much is owed to these people, their language was used for code in WW2 and saved many lives

[@ssshadowwolf6762]

They used Cherokee in WW1

[@tichburyfan]

Many people are not aware that Navajo was not the only native languge used for codes in WW2 - there were also codes in Comanche, Crow, Tlingit, Lakota, Mohawk and others. The point was that none of these languages had been published outside of a few academic centres in the USA, so Germans, Japanese and Italians had no way of researching them in their own countries - Navajo has so many strange sounds that the Japanese might intercept messages but they could not even write down the sounds they heard.

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

On this subject, John Woo directed the square but effective movie WINDTALKERS with Nicolas Cage and Adam Beach.

[@BrianStanleyEsq]

My cousin who was a professor of native languages at the University of Alaska said that a scholarly English-language Navajo grammar and limited glossary was published in the 1920s, which would almost certainly have been acquired by at least the top few university libraries in Japan. He wondered why the Japanese military never resorted to this resource, and we speculated it could have been the contempt for Western academic learning promoted by the Japanese thought police or the multiplicity of native American languages that would have needed to be investigated.

[@tichburyfan]

@@BrianStanleyEsq That's interesting to hear, but there is much more to the native code languages. Navajo did not have any native words for tank, aircraft, artillery, battleship and so on, so they used unconnected native words for all these terms (tank became turtle, a bomber aircraft might be eagle and so on). So there were codes within the code, making it impossible even for any non-trained Navajo to grasp the meaning. But you are right - there was a definite and strong anti-western feeling within the Japanese military and this would certainly have hampered their attempts to break codes.

[@ElDuroTuco]

In my house we speak English, Navajo, Spanish, and French. It takes a lot of research to come up with the information you have in this video.

[@kristinbaker8310]

WOW, that's awesome. I tried Navaho on the duolingo app for two weeks and was so confused I could not make progress! I bet dinner is very interesting at your house though!

[@valdivia1234567]

I used to live in Durango and we would go to Farmington to shop at the mall sometimes. It was interesting to be in a small city in NM and hear 3 languages while simply walking through a mall. I worked for the Utes, but there were a couple of Navajos working for them, so I was always bothering one of them whose office was right across the hall from mine, about Navajo culture. He was always happy to tell me though, so hopefully he didn't see it as bothersome.

[@elihyland4781]

That’s incredible 🤙

[@isabellaholden8997]

Impressive! Wow. That’s amazing!

[@CJBetcherMolandfreak]

Thank you for keeping North America linguistically diverse! You have some great videos on your channel, too!

[@CharlieMcHenry]

It helps to understand that Navajo is a very, very “process” oriented language as opposed to standard average European languages, which are object-oriented. That explains the incredible verb structures, as processes not objects are key. Thus, the Navajos describe a clock as a slowing moving circle. It is the process, not the object that is central to the thought being communicated.

[@christineperez7562]

Interesting

[@donnazasgoat2274]

I've heard that theory applied to Klingon as well.

[@derrickbarney8731]

Process oriented is certainly the best way to explain my Norther Interior Salish language

[@odiarroyo6144]

Reloj clock. ... A thing that geves, measure the time or kees track of time..... Relog.... Wach..... Seme thing.... Whay over complicated???

[@ONRIPRESENCE]

This "process" you speak of are the adjectives we use on Dinétah. Everything is description-based and is based on the human experience of those things. The term "tsin bigaan" means branch in English, but the literal translation is "tree's arm", which you can probably see is from a human perspective (keyword: arm). This is one example, but I just wanted to comment something on that. Cheers eh.

[@daybreakwarrior]

Wow! This was a very nicely organized video that described our language very well... there were many points that I was surprised she went to certain levels of detail! Nizhónígo íinlaa lá!

[@eduardod9864]

Your videos are awesome too!

[@tednorberto3086]

Nizhonigo iinlaa la??? What? The last 2 words confuses me.🤔

[@daybreakwarrior]

@@tednorberto3086 Nizhónígo - in a good way Íinlaa - you made it Lá - an expression that has the effect of an exclamation point (!)

[@StarriSprinkles]

MAI BOI IS BACK LET'S GOO

[@izharisrael544]

I need a teacher please. If you are available can I learn from you?

[@erikamoore6164]

As a native speaker of another "unusual" language (Hungarian in my case) I find the Navajo language fascinating! I was once told by a tour guide in Hawaii that the only tourists who can correctly pronounce Hawaiian words on the first try are Hungarians and Navajo.

[@jamesotisjr2322]

have you heard the theory that Hungarian is based on Sumerian? allegedly, Sumerians headed north to escape Ghenghis Khans Mongol hordes.

[@erikamoore6164]

@@jamesotisjr2322 Didn't the Sumerians die out about 2000 years before Ghenghis? Anyway Hungarians (or Magyars) were around LONG before Ghenghis showed up -- in fact they had already migrated from Asia and settled in central Europe. You may be thinking about Scythians, who I think originally came from the same general area as Magyars.

[@kovacsbianka1253]

​@@erikamoore6164 Scythians were indo-europeans. Although they shared their lifestyle and culture with nomadic people near central Asia (including hungarians), there is no linguistic connection towards scythian at all as their language was not even in the same language family. Regarding sumerian, it was also an agglutinating language just like hungarian and there were studies about their possible connection. AFAIK they also compared it with finnish and with turkish as well. So, they have no direct connection but sumerian did have the same logic as hungarian (or finnish or turkish, et cetera).

[@erikamoore6164]

@@kovacsbianka1253 This is fascinating! I would love to learn more about these linguistic connections.

[@valkeakirahvi]

@@jamesotisjr2322 No it isn't :D There is no linguistic simarity between Sumerian and Hungarian. I've seen many word lists floating around that supposedly prove it, but all of them are fakes that only convince people who have no idea about Sumerian (which is, unfortunately the most people lol). Sumerians didn't go anywhere, the people gradually started speaking more Akkadian instead of Sumerian, and the language died. And yes, the language was already dead long before Ghenghis.

[@kieransawdust]

The way my Welsh heart fluttered the moment I saw ɬ!

[@deklerkverwoerd7721]

okay.....

[@Noalanikootswatewa]

Im 3/4 navajo and 1/4 hopi. Grew up almost entirely on the navajo rez. But i remember trying to say horse in navajo and my grandma laughed at me and said i said "fly". Tłęę' and T'sęę are completely different words.😂 i will never forget that

[@anawkwardsweetpotato4728]

@Jack Snow It's hard to convey through comment alone, but follow if you can: "tł" makes a hissing sound. Place your tongue as if you're about to say "t", but right before you let the tip of your tongue depart from the roof of your mouth, let air release through the side. After that, you have "ęę". In Navajo, the little squiggle below the "e" means the vowel is "nasal" so you don't pronounce it like a regular "e", but with air passing through the nose instead. Pinch your nose and say "eh", and that is the sound you want to make. Note: there are two ę's so you have to hold it longer. Lastly, there is an apostrophe at the end. In Navajo, this signifies a "glottal stop" because the air and sound are briefly cut at the throat. In other words, the same sound between "uh" and "oh" in "uh-oh". Put all this together, and there you have tłęę'. Moving onto ts'ęę: "ts" is the same sound as the "zz" in pizza. Easy enough I hope. Remember the glottal stop sound? Now, put it after "ts"-- ts'. (Almost as if to beat box in a sense, haha). Next, put those nasal-y ę's after it. And there you have ts'ęę! There you go! I highly recommend checking out videos on the Navajo language to hear what it sounds like. It's such a unique language! ^^

[@anawkwardsweetpotato4728]

@Jack Snow If by "Mexican" you mean "Nahuatl" then yes, it's that exact same sound! :D I'm not all too sure if Spanish-speaking Mexicans say the sound the same since I've heard it a number of different ways.

[@jamesotisjr2322]

I have a Navajo friend who claims that "large breasts" are Bet So, and "sheep penis" is Baa Tso, but you know that Navajos are jokers, so who knows?

[@jgp8525]

Right, one wrong part of a word and you've offended someone! 😆

[@turblijura]

Same thing here. I`m estonian. Falcon in my language is KULL. In Finnish (our closest relatives) KULLI means dick. :))))

[@amjan]

The BEAUTIFUL COMPLEXITY and sophistication of those languages is an invaluable TREASURE of humanity and shall be preserved and protected at all cost!!!

[@Blackstreak8]

My Love, thank you. Ahéhee'! Shï eh Diné níshlí. Tsínajinni inshlí, Tobaz ni ashí basish chine. This has been the most comprehensive exploration of the Navajo language on KZbin I have seen. It is extremely valuable to me. Thank you. ♥️

[@DreDredel3]

I thought Japanese was difficult to learn, Navajo takes the cake. Very complex language yet very interesting.

[@jeremyh9033]

I love the complexity. It certainly makes it hard, but you can't say it's boring! 😂

[@6153f9pk]

It's similar to Korean... Japanese is an ancient Korean language

[@kjames1414]

@@jeremyh9033 we love the Irish

[@senaeco]

I think Japanese, Korean is not all that difficult, many South Indians self learn and pick it up when they are in Japan or Korea.

[@ijansk]

@@6153f9pk Japanese is not a Korean language.

[@ONRIPRESENCE]

I am considering making an informal video explaining some differences in our Navaho dialects as well as some of the current developments involving Navaho slang terms. We have dialects due to topography of the Navaho landscape (mountain forests, deserts, canyons, mesas). As a fluent native speaker from the north eastern mountains of Arizona, I have lots to share about the similarities between the Navaho & Apache languages.

[@sharbucks3376]

You should! I would tune in! We need more Navajo KZbin channels 😊

[@lesterjargus5311]

Also some important differences. My buddy, a Navajo, went to a church Whiteriver on the White Mountain Apache Rez and gave his testimony in Navajo. He started talking about serving the Lord with his hands... and the Apaches started cracking up. The Navajo word la' sounds like Apache for... a part of the body inappropriate to talk about in church, haha.

[@alejandroto3094]

People who do not speak their Native language are mute people doomed to disappear.

[@wendigos_eat_people7177]

since it's been a year ,did you finish what you were planning to achieve ?

[@Solarsystemrdffdfyyhh]

Thank you thank you. The younger generation are learning our language with apps and books. But most elders never came across the written word. So showing the research and the depth of our language is absolutely astonishing!!! Your always welcome here on Navajo land yayeeh friend!!! Thank you for this blessing that you posted!! Thank you!!!

[@teaganna5970]

Navajo women were known to wear a floral head scarf, tied below their chin. That should have been your thumbnail, that "headdress" is inaccurate. Other than that, nice video. (Update: She fixed the thumbnail to an accurate image.) Thank you.

[@lyllydd]

Yeah, looking at the thumbnails for her other videos it seems like she attempts -and fails- to dress in some form of 'traditional garb' for pretty much all of them. Except the Welsh video. Wonder why that is?

[@teaganna5970]

@MJ Marvin Jay Murphy I honestly don't know if it was a marriage thing. I just remember seeing a lot of women wear them when I was very young. Including my nanna.

[@kbenally8918]

Worn in modern culture by elders, younger women wear the teeyeel

[@rogerwitte]

Please consider Cherokee. This language has an interesting writing system, a syllabary invented circa 1850 by Seqoya. He had seen Europeans using writing, so he decided that his people needed the same magic, and gave it to them.

[@isabelaraujo4825]

stop asking for indigenous languages when its obvious she cant respect the cultures

[@LynnaeaEmber]

@@isabelaraujo4825 What do you mean exactly. I saw no disrespect, am I missing something?

[@isabelaraujo4825]

@@LynnaeaEmber the thumbnail for this video used to feature her in a headdress. her quechua and maori videos also feature her playing "dress up" with native cultures

[@davidbraid8429]

@@isabelaraujo4825 grow up - she's doing more than most to help the world understand so many cultures, there is offence at all in what she does, people like you just look for this stuff so you can enjoy being offended - pathetic! Your pretend outrage is totally stupid and so typical in that it comes from someone who is not even of these cultures - I notice no natives here complaining.

[@isabelaraujo4825]

@@UNC.357 whatever online pretendian

[@hualapaiculturalresources7896]

Wow you really did a great job. I enjoyed your watching video. We are continuing teaching our language to our children and adult who have been taking away during the boarding school days and are now coming home to the Reservation to learn their language. There's a lot to learn any language, but you really hit it right on with the Navajo Language.

[@nikyle5869]

Great video! Diné have adopted a few Spanish words into our language like beeso (not kisses in Spanish) but used to describe money like pesos in Spanish. Other examples include aloos for rice, aroz in Spanish; mandigeeya for butter; mantequilla in Spanish; belasana for apple, manzana in Spanish. There are many more examples, including more foods, objects and large numbers. I don’t know how many other Navajo grew up calling our language Diné bizaad, that was more formal like at school. At home we were always told “Diné k’ejí yaniiltxii’” Diné k’ejí referring to our language.

[@higherresolution4490]

Great comment! So interesting. You can see why Western languages evolve the way they did, and the basis upon which Native American languages evolved. In the first case, language structure was based on materialism and the desire to resist change. The second, your language base, was based on processes, incontroversible change and the direct experience of the transcendent.

[@bacicinvatteneaca]

Belasana might be a reflex of an older form of manzana that hadn't yet dropped the Latin malum / mela

[@chrisgusdaskalos7029]

Thank you for the exceptional videos; your Love and Passion are self evident and deeply appreciated.

[@mikegorski2085]

I love the European names given by the code talkers during WWll. I think I want that on a shirt ,I hope you've Christmas tree out ??.

[@daniellara3385]

Beautiful Navajo language, thanks for take your time and remind us we are one great family living on this planet

[@marvelgurl1012]

A language that incorporates the order of the universe, the shape/texture of an object, and two generations of your family tree--- astounding.

[@1965Tofik]

Z prezentacji której dokonałaś wynika że język Navajo jest pięknym językiem. Jego rozbudowana fleksja pozwala opisać przedmioty i wydarzenia wieloma wyrazami i pojęciami. Co jest bogactwem takiego języka. From the presentation you made, the Navajo language is a beautiful language. Its extensive inflection allows you to describe objects and events with many words and concepts. What is the richness of such a language.

[@AmandaJYoungs]

Wow! I wonder how this language compares to Finnish in complexity?! Fascinating.

[@nathangale7702]

Well done, that's the best explanation of Navajo that I've ever heard, and I've been looking for a long time. I finally feel like I have an idea of how complicated it would be to learn the language.

[@cicik57]

the verb changing according to the form of the object.. is just genial!!!

[@adamcharlesworth7546]

Nahuatl has the welsh "ll" sound aswell, represented by "tl"

[@jan_Masewin]

Isn’t ll a fricative and tl an affricate?

[@Terrus_38]

No, it doesn't, as Benjamin says, ll is a fricative, and tl is an affricate.

[@jan_Masewin]

(Mind you you’re a step above most)

[@valkeakirahvi]

Nahuatl has both of those actually. Tl (tɬ) is an affricate, but in word-final position and in clusters l becomes devoiced as ɬ. You can't see it in the writing, but it is there.

[@WizardOfArc]

Lushootseed of Washington state and Icelandic also have this sound

[@lisasutherland-fraser4479]

And the explanation was just as complicated as the language. Incredible explanation Julie. Thing I love with many languages such as Australian Aboriginal languages, Native American, etc is how their perception of the world is in their language. English is so 3D what you see is what you get, left brained whereas these beautiful languages are so full & go beyond the physical world. Just love that! Thank you. Love the kitty!

[@coldstreams]

My oldest daughter is a Slavic languages linguist (since changed careers into psychiatry) - she has told me that learning a language is known, at least for the young (and probably for adults) to create new neural pathways and changes our perception and interpretation of the world around us. I am now working my way through learning two languages - I've only discovered languages late in life but they are so interesting.

[@cwilliams7017]

Kinda, yeah. But Navajo is way more specific than English. In that way, I'd say it's more logical.

[@gordonlewis4280]

Lisa this is true our language is almost the same apache .

[@bacicinvatteneaca]

No such thing as left/right brain. That's a hoax. And no, English is not "what you see is what you get", English is notoriously reliant on idiomatisms (and therefore, metaphor) to make up for its lack of grammar

[@Timurlane100]

I've been following you for a few years now, and I have to say that you really, really do a fantastic job of covering languages that might otherwise be ignored. Earlier today, I watched your video on Amharic, and you first gained my attention with your video on Georgian. You rock.

[@andrewsokulski8922]

Loving all your language videos! You’ve picked out a lot of unique ones other language KZbinrs don’t talk about

[@GeorgAnkar]

The "ɬ" sound is also present in Circassian language, Avar language (both are spoken in different part of Caucasus) and Mongolian.

[@Gugeoji._.]

Some Southern Chinese dialects have ɬ too.

[@user-sc5ey4we9e]

Wow, very interesting and VERY complicated language! Please continue doing your videos they are very good.

[@patchworkdragon2588]

Great video. I found it interesting when you were sharing the spoken Navajo that the singing section was easier to remember. Just made me think that music is so universal and can help us to connect.

[@rubenhurtado1992]

“I wonder what could have happened” 🤣 I really love the way you said that 😍😍

[@Philidor64]

I was curious to hear how Navajo sounds and when I did, was totally fascinated. I'm not a linguistic specialist, but being a professional musician, I can claim this is one of the most musical languages I have ever heard! Thank you so much for this video, greetings from Greece.

[@StarSong936]

I love the sound of their singing. I also love the stories of the code talkers. What I hate is the way the native Americans have been treated historically.

[@oliviaarteaga4092]

Bordering schools really mess them up!

[@maizecharley358]

Historical trauma due to Government assimilation and Missionary trauma. Both had no right. It took away our livelihood, culture, tradition, language, ceremonies, agriculture, animal science, medicine, traditional midwives, stories, plants, healing, psychology, etc. Education did not replace what was stolen from us. Missionaries taught us lies. Government taught us greed. Our belief is everything is scared. We share the same elements, depend on each other.: Water, Sun, Air, Earth 🌎.

[@StarSong936]

@@maizecharley358 You'll get no argument from me. My own family history said one of my direct ancestors married a native American, though knowledge of the tribe she was from has been lost. That is a part of my heritage I would love to learn about. There were several tribes from southern Michigan, but I have no way of knowing which tribe it was. I have known people from several different tribes, and I think their history, language, and lore is worth preserving.

[@jenncutshall4624]

@@StarSong936 same here, but we know it is Lakota Sioux we have heritage in

[@gkerns4213]

From Milwaukee, Wonderful presentation! May I add that some of the sounds of the Navajo language are similar to many languages of Africa. For example: South Africa: Koi San language Eswatini (Swaziland): Siswati language

[@evansmith7969]

Great, informative, intriguing and fun. As always. Thank you for sharing your passion for understanding people and how they communicate.

[@juliekell9454]

Thank you for creating this very informative video. I live in Colorado and had no idea our neighbors to the south had such a complex and interesting language. Understanding a bit about a language really does give you a very different perspective on a peoples culture and history.

[@tanyajanvier4538]

I live in Canada (Alberta)yes Dene' means People.My dad was Dene' his name was Leon Janvier the language sounds the same.Uldaye is his original name.My dad was a soldier in WW2.

[@rogergadley9965]

I grew up on the Yakima Indian Reservation where Sahaptin is spoken. The Yakima were in central Washington state in what is called the “Pacific Northwest” of the U.S. I do not speak the Yakima language but several of my relatives did, including my grandmother. Interestingly though when I left the reservation, I took with me accented English. People frequently asked me where I was from or why I spoke the way I did. I would tell them I grew up on an Indian reservation and that I was part Native American, but frankly, I never heard my own “unusual” accent. Even though I couldn’t hear it, I knew it was there (because others told me I had an accent), so I worked hard to shed myself of my “funny” way of speaking, which I have done. Oddly, I’m now a little sorry that I was successful because I feel that I shed a tiny bit of my heritage in the process. But, such is life.

[@anthonymcneill1465]

Utterly amazing language and historical narrative! Thank you for sharing the depth and rich history of the Navajo nation and origin.

[@igortseitkin2961]

It's fascinating to get familiar with languages this way, keeping in mind that those distinctions actually teach us about what aspects of the world mattered to the speakers of those languages.

[@piccadelly9360]

I am happy that someone reports about this language, I hope that this language stays alive, it would be a shame if it will be no more

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

Most Native American languages are in bigger trouble if not extinct.

[@Catnipfumar]

@@Blaqjaqshellaq I'm actually the Navajo Nations, are the largest tribe in the United States of America. No matter how hard the colonizers tried to destroy us, we are still here, we will always still be here, our language will still be here. The ignorance and hatred of Christianity could not kill us off. We see now, according to the census that the Democrats are changing the group of people that had a long time being the majority population now get to have their time to become the minority. Children born to the children of baby boomers are more diverse, more accepting they're known as generation z. I'm a millennial, and I speak my language. Lots of generation z out on the reservation are speaking their language. We are Dinè we were here before the last man at sea Christopher Columbus, and we will always be here, nothing is going to take us away. So many people think that we're just some dying tradition that we are not doing everything that we need to do to preserve our culture, because they're too worried about the way they see the world from their point of view. All the experts are saying, it's other people's ways that are going extinct. Wouldn't you say so, Mr Matthews?

[@senaeco]

There are lots of Navajo speakers in AZ, UT, NM.

[@cigh7445]

@@Catnipfumar Catnip, I say this out of genuine care, speakers of languages often have trouble imagining a future without the language until it's too late. They don't see the signs. Navajo survived because of the reservations being kept as Navajo speaking areas, this is no longer completely the case. Unlike their elders, younger generations all speak English, not all of them speak Navajo, American English culture has arrived in previously Navajo speaking areas via the media, television, and younger natives of mixed identity. Be realistic, protect your domains from English. The trojan horses of English culture will try and play down the threat, they'll call any move to halt the spread of the English language 'extreme', like they said about Québécoise measures to protect French, but look at the facts. Out of the hundreds of thousands of language communities which have existed on the North American continent, which language communities have survived? Not including Spanish which has thousands of reinforcements arriving every few weeks. French in Québec survived - it died out everywhere else in Canada. Navajo survived due to the isolation and boundaries of the reservation, where Navajo was the language of the community. The only language to have held strong in the melting pot of English speaking America, is the Yiddish of the Orthodox Jewish community who live their own separate lives in their own separate communities with complete rejection of modern media and the like

[@aplcidr]

Navajo is likely no longer in danger, it's had more conservation efforts than many other indigenous north American languages. Many of which are dying with few people speaking them

[@renatomorello4318]

Dear teacher, thank you for one more excellent video. It is a real pleasure to learn with you. I am also happy to see that the number of your followers is growing fast. All the best for you! God bless you.

[@mastrake]

Thank you! That was truly fascinating.

[@edvela3865]

Love this one! I would love to see a video on basque language if possible. Thank you for you vids!

[@Riurelia]

I'm Native American (Lakota) and it makes me happy when indigenous languages are mentioned anywhere. I'm not Navajo, but I'm still glad to have seen this video.

[@timothyahlen9366]

I studied Diné Bizaad for a year at Northern Arizona University in Kinłánígóó dah diiyá. My teacher was a missionary who had lived and worked on the Navajo Reservation for 38 years. He said after that many years of study he was still barely a novice! I wish I had the time to and opportunity to become fluent- I know only a few words/phrases.

[@johnalvarez3376]

Thank you for the lesson and thank you for the extensive research involved in making your videos.

[@D_R_Martin]

I remember studying Navajo while completing my applied linguistics degree because my aunt and uncle were Navajo linguists back in the day. It is a fascinating but difficult language (to say the least).

[@D_R_Martin]

my uncle was actually a Navajo man, and my aunt married him. The funny part was that we joke that she married him because she wouldn't have to change her name since both of their last names was Martin. His name was Geronimo Martin. They actually knew the linguists who wrote the first Navajo dictionary.

[@e.c5786]

Did you ever master the language?

[@D_R_Martin]

@@e.c5786 not even close, but I can say hello.

[@-arche-7926]

Nice new thumbnail! c:

[@philmccluskey2063]

fabulous stuff. Loved this...thank you again.

[@marcod1302]

I think it's a beautiful idea of you to dress according to the presented language and it always suits you. You are a very beautiful Navajo!

[@matthieujoly424]

I just love languages.. started to learn (some other languages..), i mean, not english because we "all" have to... This is so incredible to see how different and complex are the way that we, humans, are using to communicate. And a great way to expand our knowledges. Was aware about the use of the Navajo language in the WWII, and with all the explanations given here, i really can understand why it was "undecipherable".. Thanks for the share !!!

[@akirk1573]

after watching/listening to the segment you did on Welsh, i subscribed. i'm glad you're making more of these. i think it'd take me ten years to learn Navajo. i've been through part of the rez, driving north on highway 666 - - no kidding. a confluence of strong energies seems to cross roads in that region.

[@F4RR3LLFamilyVlogs]

Awesome thanks for recognizing our people

[@F4RR3LLFamilyVlogs]

I am navajo and have a family channel so come check us out please

[@VocalEdgeTV]

Intriguing work as always.

[@dsm5d723]

Navajo name for Hitler: "He who is of the hard metal hat, who is smelling his own moustache."

[@Daoland-Everywhere]

When younger I was confused by a tribal Navaho for a Navaho. I had no clue about what he was saying, and I was surprised about the many words he used to say hi. Later on I came to know a variety of story tellers, medicine people and warriors from different tribal peoples. All their languages and expressiveness are fascinating and hard to understand. So great job. Thank you.

[@dunwitch]

This is amazingly fantastic. This lady is doing great work.

[@richardsorensen4163]

I decided I love this channel today. Subscribed.. always so well researched and so many cool languages.

[@oc3607]

This video takes a lot of work and research. Congrats and I hope you channel grows a lot

[@georgiancrossroads]

Tlingit in Alaska has the same air pushed out the side sound. They are Na-dene too. They also have to say a long introduction of clans before speaking. There are around 50 letters in the alphabet. I think I mentioned to you before that I had to edit a 52 part series for our radio station. (I lived in Haines Alaska for 22 years before moving to Tbilisi Georgia.) Thanks Julie. Whenever you make a language video I listen to it almost immediately. Gunalchéesh hoho! Nice native American hair by the way.

[@massiveheadwoundharry6833]

I'm from Haines. I was thinking the same thing when she mentioned the long introductions and how children belong to the mother's clan.

[@lawrencemckeon6802]

This is excellent research and presentation. Mind blowing, in fact. You have a real talent in languages, and the Navajo language is fascinating.

[@dangallagher8034]

You do a wonderful job. Refreshing. Thank you so much.

[@shadowdarkness5]

Hope you know your thumbnail picture is inaccurate the navajo don't wear them. I'm jicarilla Apache so the language is similar to the navajo.

[@hypinso92]

Just so everyone knows. The picture has been updated. Now it’s more appropriate! Sincerely, just another Navajo.

[@oceanpoincare]

It’s appropriate

[@hypinso92]

@@oceanpoincare now it is, yes. Before it had a plains-style headdress which Navajos don't wear. I'm glad it was changed :)

[@1EyeInTheSky]

When I worked at the hospital in Shiprock I was starting to pick up some basics but I have long since forgotten it. It is a very interesting language for a very interesting people.

[@g.s.3450]

Thank you, Julie, for your thoughtful, well researched video. I was born in Arizona and knew the university professor/linguist, from Northern Arizona University, who helped the Navajo nation put their oral language into written form. Your linguistics presentation on Navajo was spot on. As the commentator CharlieMcHenry notes, Navajo is a ‘process’ language and not an 'object-oriented' language. Thus, it’s world view is quite different that European languages.

[@ieatgauffres4432]

your channel is so amazing

[@efjefe]

I live on the navajo rez. I love it.

[@louisegogel7973]

Thank you! That was an awesome overview. ❤ I started learning Navajo on Duolingo a few months ago, and it is slow going for sure, but repeating the first lesson set over and over again is really helpful. While I was in labor in 1996 with my second child, I would find myself speaking a language I had never heard before for the duration of the two minute contractions… I know I said the same thing over each time. I had a feeling what I was saying were messages reassuring the child and encouraging him to come out. I wish his father had tape recorded tape was saying over those seven hours! I really would like to know what language it was! I am Swiss American, born in India, and grew up in Pakistan, England, and the USA. I lived in Switzerland and Germany, visited Greece, Africa, Central America, and most of the European countries as well as traveling from Venis Italy through Yugoslavia etc on the way to two months in Turkey. I know the sound of many languages, including Russian, and even if I don’t speak them, can easily recognize them. It was not one of the languages I had ever come in contact with. I also had a feeling it might be a native American language, and one of the hardest to pronounce because when I spoke it, it was deep with many totally foreign sounds that I am not sure now how I would begin to say them. I retain only one word from that time and the best I can come to writing what I remember of the sound in my head is: Eh’toh. I only knew it is meant to reassure. I had heard of people speaking in tongues before, but never understood it was anything real until it happened to me.

[@Me2Lancer]

Thank you for the preparation you did for this video on the Navajo language. Many years ago I spent some time in the four-corners region of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona. It's a fascinating region.

[@giovanniacuna676]

Finding your channel has been a blessing! Thank you for studying and sharing your knowledge about these ancestral languages. I really like your content! Im from Perú, a big hug!

[@ronaldl9085]

O M G ... that's so difficult if you'd have to learn this as an adult.

[@randysanders3322]

I took Navajo 102 at university without taking Navajo 101, the 1st semester. even though I have 11 years of formal Language Learning I was so LOST. saying that Navajo is different, difficult is an understatement. I was the only biligana, white man, in a class of Native Navajo speakers, except for one white Lady who was dating a Navajo man. so much to learn. at some point I was with a native Navajo speaker, a silversmith, while he was talking with a Tibetan monk. They said they could understand some of each others word. both Navajo and Tibetan do sand paintings, sand mandalas. maybe there is a connection.

[@Blackstreak8]

@@randysanders3322 the squash blossom necklaces are similar, as well. Thank you for learning Diné Bízaad.

[@kimberlyhovis5864]

Well, that's certainly not going to stop me from trying to learn it. 📘

[@siratshi455]

Hi, July, I suggest to make a video about Kazakh or Arabic, very interesting languages, there's not so much data on Kazakh language especially in English but I hope you'll still consider this comment while choosing next language to make a video on. This channel is hidden gem for a language nerd like me, thank you for work!

[@pennycasey9160]

Thank you for sharing your love of language with me preserving your history in your own words means truth will prevail for generations of your people and children ❤

[@efrin23]

you are amazing I am at awe to your ability to explain the complicated. Love watching your channel from Texas

[@shaggyclitso472]

I'm actually related to that girl she said yeìì dìnè tàchìì nìì The giant red running into the water people clan

[@Calmdowndude]

Me too

[@brittanymoore4318]

Hello my relatives

[@shaggyclitso472]

@@brittanymoore4318 love our people

[@pfflam]

I love to think of how language is a sort of image of thought for those who speak it, or rather shapes thinking and the disclosure of the world for them -with that in mind I can't help but think of the Navajo as having some sort of wild natural structurally advanced philosophical perspective - the whole verb thang!! -or thingingnessitude! and wow, what a beautiful cat!

[@RedHair651]

That’s called linguistic relativism and it’s been debunked ages ago

[@pfflam]

@@RedHair651 By who? by anti-Heideggerians? Please re-debunk or reference -

[@pfflam]

@@RedHair651 In all good faith, how does one step outside of language to explain their perspective is not shaped by language? and also, since it is language as the medium of shared qualitative nomination, due to the very nature of language as a shared medium made of iterative moments, it is not relativist in that it is at the least intersubjective co-relative - my and your interior dialogue with the experience of the world, in the form of an ongoing decipherment and narrativizing, is made of borrowed and preformed elements over which we do not have complete command - we are therefor shaped in very intimate ways by the language we use in the heart of our experience. sure their is also singularity to experience, but that then is harder to access with borrowed meanings and terms which are what we have at hand, from history, from our shared culture our language-games we live through.

[@RedHair651]

@@pfflam Just look up ”Sapir-Whorf” in wikipedia

[@hardej4272]

The speaker is the man who is campaigning for a seat in Navajo tribe leadership. He speaks with repetition of "the ones in authority." And the lady speaks of her experience as a child who had aspirations to grow up to become someone who would succeed in a role that would help her people. She became a guest on Navajo radio station to share healthful recipes in the types of foods that are healthy. The girl with the Navajo bun introduces herself stating her maternal and paternal clanship. She is presenting a talk about her culture on the campus of ASU. Each are extremely proficient in their speech with all the intonation and gutteral in place. The girl singer is a former Miss Navajo.

[@777mantikor]

Very well done. I am amazed at how well I was able to understand it. You explained it so clearly.

[@scottabc72]

Thanks for the video, Dineh language and culture is very much alive. Like many native nations they are still fighting exploitation and land disputes particularly with coal companies. I traveled there in the 90's to help a little bit and among other things was impressed with the common usage of the language. For example there were radio stations broadcasting full time in Dineh and all the young people I met were fluent.

[@christopherrowley7506]

Icelandic also has the voiceless L sound ɬ as well as tɬ. The voiceless and voiced l´s form minimal pairs (valdur, valtur (the d and t are pronounced the same here, just the L is different)). The double l´s in the name of the famous volcano Eyjafallajökull are pronounced tɬ

[@manfredneilmann4305]

What about the sound represented by the letter combination HL in Icelandic? Doesn't it sound very similar to the Welsh LL?

[@christopherrowley7506]

@@manfredneilmann4305 yep you're right, I guess it would have been more straight forward for minimal pairs too: hljóð - ljóð

[@christopherrowley7506]

@@manfredneilmann4305 or at least it's true that hl is voiceless l. I haven't studied Welsh so I can't speak to it

[@johansvideor]

Voiceless alveolar lateral fricative L sound also exists in old Swedish dialects (like in my own Ostrobothnian Swedish dialect and in dialects in Jämtland and Härjedalen in Sweden proper). This is similar to Welsh LL sound. This might be related to similar sounds in Icelandic. After all, our dialects have several archaic elements that haven't survived in modern Swedish (like diphthongs and three genders).

[@christopherrowley7506]

@@johansvideor Coolt! Jag bodde i Sverige i två år men tyvärr var jag aldrig i dem områden. Skulle vara roligt att höra dialekten.

[@Dreamer-sk6ii]

Ok. This was super cool. Thank you for sharing

[@krishnasingh3212]

Wow! Navajo is so interesting!

[@DallasGunther]

Wow, that was very interesting. I've worked with and been around Navajo people my whole life and I'll be damned if I could ever pronounce anything they have attempted to teach me. There are too many sounds that aren't in the version of English spoken in this part of the country. I can think of a number of instances where their explanation of how you say something in their native tongue seemed unbelievably complex. Once, a guy about my age whom I worked with told me that there were roughly nine ways to say "wheelbarrow" which quickly locked up my brain with computations. The reason being I had just observed him in conversation with our boss, an awesome human being who I have a lot of love and respect for, were kind of yelling back and forth about something and the only thing I could understand was the interjection of the English word "wheelbarrow" and he did explain what was happening but I'm not going into that. And besides that I'm always impressed by the amount of information communicated compared to how much is really said. They are subtle but very articulate somehow, simultaneously. But yeah, I don't know if I could ever really grasp enough of that language to speak it effectively.

[@avedahusniyahadara]

the fact that you dissected all of this is beyond me! woww, amazing

[@teeveeray9]

Well done, I really enjoyed this.

[@konnan606]

Who else here is Navajo (Diné)

[@christopherleon9234]

Just found my biological father and he told me im navajo 3 yrs ago

[@konnan606]

@@christopherleon9234 dope brotha, now u jus need to find out your clans

[@christopherleon9234]

@Dale Clark nope

[@christopherleon9234]

@Dale Clark California Anaheim

[@lancecurley658]

algorithms brought me here haha

[@PedanticAntics]

Hey, great video. Just wanted to give you a heads up about something: It's good to be aware that for many native Americans, non-natives dressing up as a native (a headdress costume in a thumbnail, emulated hairstyles, etc) can be an especially sensitive issue, even to the point of being an offensive taboo, particularly if that person appears to be white, which can be uniquely offensive given the context of the issue. Obviously, you made this video with a respectful heart, and I expect that most people will not take issue with any of it. Keep up the good work!

[@annepoitrineau5650]

Just stumbled on your channel. Fantastic resource, and I am going to advertise you to my friends!

[@blindembersmusic4623]

This was great. Gracias!!

[@robertschlesinger1342]

Absolutely superb introduction to the Navajo language. Very interesting, informative and worthwhile video.

[@thomasgaida7174]

Diné Bizaad is a very beautiful sounding language. So, I decided to learn some of it. I gained a basic understanding of the grammar and can say a few simple sentences. But without a teacher or native speakers around, I find it very hard to make any more progress.

[@thomasgaida7174]

@Lacie Krinklehoel That would be great! Maybe after my retirement. I am German, and I am living in Germany.

[@randysanders3322]

I live in Arizona. They teach Navajo at Arizona State University.

[@tednorberto3086]

Get the Rosetta Stone for Navajo language. It's available through Navajo College I think.

[@raulgarza2612]

I AM in AWE! A mere introduction is pretty much a background check. There is NO DOUBT as to who you are. WoW! Thank you for posting.

[@marjohnsmusings3222]

Thank you this is fascinating.

[@nobbynoris]

10:53: And then when somebody says, "sorry, what was your name again?" you just want to kill them.

[@mwbrada]

Yes, murder is always the first thing I think of when someone mispronounces anything... take a deep breath.

[@007JHS]

Wasn't Navajo used as a form of code talk over two way radios in the Pacific theatre of WWII?... At least that is what the movie tells us.

[@Blackstreak8]

@Lacie Krinklehoel Chester Nez. Also, the US Federal Government Boarding School Era - look it up. They targeted the children in order to destroy the language and the culture. Which is the reason for the steep decline in proficiency. Thank you.

[@Blackstreak8]

@Lacie Krinklehoel Thank you for being aware.

[@buddhasattva]

The reason the Navajo language was chosen for communication in World War II is because the German linguists never got to the Navajo language during World War II but the Navajo did not have words for tanks, destroyers, ships etc and so have to invent words for them. The Navajo communicators were assigned personal guards to protect them for their safety as communications were vital. Read the story about a Navajo who fulfill his attainment to adulthood during World War II in Europe as he couldn't fulfill it is the United States, one of the ritual was stealing horses from the enemy, it's in KZbin somewhere.

[@007JHS]

@@buddhasattva Thanks, some great information and more things to check out.

[@fanstream]

stellar videos - graphics, visuals, flow - entertaining, informative

[@goochpunchtickles3617]

Your brain is gorgeous. Enjoyed the video. Thank you.

[@PanglossDr]

First thing that struck me was that the way you pronounced Na-Dene. It sounded almost the same as saying 'The People' in Irish. It is Na Daoine. Navajo sounds really complicated but also really interesting.

[@eoghanoneill9765]

Sin go díreach a cheap mise nuair a chuala ach is dócha gur comhtharlú é.

[@hardej4272]

"Na Dene" is probably an original expression of Dine which is a Navajo version which is possibly used as far back as 3,000 years ago. When a people confronts only their own people and do not see any group that is of different color or culture, the assumption might be that they are the only human on earth. Dine means "people." Recent adoption is "the ones with 5 fingers" to mean human-beings. The story is that there were other type of people with 6 fingers and 6 toes that used to live in North America who hunted people to eat them. These eventually disappeared. Plains Indians would greet a member of another tribe with a hand raised and say "haw." They then see that the stranger is a human like themselves.

[@m.kostoglod7949]

It should be nah-day-NEH tho