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- Topic: Navajo >
- "Shi aniitsį́ʼ hólǫ́."
8 Comments
307
is there a resource to learn the sounds of the letters? iv found some Navajo radio on the web but hearing the language is a big distance from learning the alphabet and specific word pronunciations for a solid base to learning. and being dislexic, i really appreciate and need the sounds. DL should not release to beta untill most words are recorded.....but its been over a year so not great language and almost no sound is going to have to do. (and i am paying. so i do get to complain)
This sentence is clearly wrong,and on multiple levels. First, as you said it would require shee. Second, it's shí and not shi, and is not required (if shee is added of course), except for emphasid. Thirdly, itʼs aniitsįʼ and not aniitsį́ʼ. Fourthly and most importantly, for inalienably possessed nouns, actual possessor marking is mandatory, so it should be: [Shí] shiniitsįʼ hólǫ́ (=me, there is my cheek).
- 2296
That's very interesting and useful; thanks!
Does this last point then apply to anything starting with "Á" - the "Á" gets changed to the possessive?
For 99.9% of these words, yes. Note that it can be a- or á-. In the latter case, the high tone must be kept: álaʼ > shílaʼ (hand > my hand).
For a small number of words, a- is part of the actual word, so it doesnʼt delete. Comes to mind: ashkii (boy), atʼééd (girl), asdzáán (woman), ałtį́į́ʼ (a bow [the weapon]). For these words, possessive is in she- (i lowers to e because of proximity with the low vowel a): sheʼashkii, sheʼasdzáán (my wife), sheʼałtį́į́ʼ.
Why is this course so messed up? Why are there so many errors? Seriously might give up, I’m worried that it's wasted effort.
Best case scenario, I learn more Navajo from looking up how to actually say things when the Duolingo version is wrong.
Jeg klikket har, og det sies at jeg tok feil og for noen grunn det ikke registrere
