Navajo and English/Lexical selection

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Nav -> Eng

Example 1: tłʼééʼ

Navajo Sentence English Translation
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
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