Navajo and English/Lexical selection
From LING073
Example 1: tłʼééʼ
Navajo Sentence | English Translation |
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Díí tłʼééʼ neeznáájiʼ ííníshtaʼ. | Tonight I am in class up till ten.. |
Áko tłʼééʼ hazlį́į́ʼ áádóó jį́ hazlį́įʼjįʼ áłtsé łaʼa jį́ azlį́į́ʼ. | And there was evening and there was morning, one day. |
- Divide between night and evening semantically small, therefore our generalization is tłʼééʼ -> night, with possibility of representing evening as well
- If preceded by Díí (this), translate to night (to form the meaning of tonight)
Example 2: naaltsoos
Navajo Sentence | English Translation |
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Shiyázhí, nízhiʼ naaltsoos bikááʼ íníleeh. | My child, write your name on the paper. . |
Shiyázhí, naaltsoos wóltaʼí naadiin góneʼ nihá yíníłtaʼ. | My child read page 20 in the textbook. |
Naaltsoos tsitsʼaaʼ naaltsoos atseedzį́ biiʼ hadéébįįd. | The cardboard box is filled with newspapers. |
- If followed by tsitsʼaaʼ (box), translate to cardboard
- Proposed generalization: if followed by number, translate to page