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Arizona Native Animal Words

Here are the American Indian names of six native animals of Arizona. We have given their names in four different Indian languages: Western Apache,, Hopi, Navajo, and Tohono O'odham.

Two of these Native Arizona languages are related to the Athabaskan language family, and the other two are not. Can you guess which languages are relatives by looking at the animal names on this page? (Hint: Not every word will sound similar even in closely related languages, so you will need to look at several different animals to figure it out!) You can find the answer on this page: Athabaskan languages.

Arizona Native Animal Names


Apache: mba (pronounced mm-bah)
Hopi: iisaw (pronounced ee-sow)
Navajo: ma'ii (pronounced mah-ee)
Tohono O'odham: ban (pronounced bahn)

Apache: bįįh (pronounced been)
Hopi: sowi'yngwa (pronounced so-wee-ngwah)
Navajo: bįįh (pronounced been)
Tohono O'odham: sihki (pronounced see-kee)

Apache: gah (pronounced gah)
Hopi: taavo (pronounced tah-vo)
Navajo: gah (pronounced gah)
Tohono O'odham: tohbi (pronounced toh-bee)

Apache: na'iłtsóh (pronounced nah-eelth-tsoh)
Hopi: sakuna (pronounced sah-kun-ah)
Navajo: dloziłgaii (pronounced dloh-zeelth-guy)
Tohono O'odham: chehkol (pronounced chuh-kole)

Apache: diǫ' (pronounced dee-one)
Hopi: tsiro (pronounced tsee-roh)
Navajo: tsídii (pronounced tsee-dee)
Tohono O'odham: u'uwhig (pronounced oo-oo-weeg)

Apache: tł'iish (pronounced tl-eesh)
Hopi: taaho (pronounced tah-ho)
Navajo: tł'iish (pronounced tl-eesh)
Tohono O'odham: wamad (pronounced wah-mahd)

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