Talk:bighan

Also "their"?

Can this also mean "their home," "their dwelling," or "their abode"? 71.66.97.228 03:39, 26 October 2010 (UTC)

Yes, the meaning of bi- is the third-person singular or plural pronoun. That’s what bi- always means, so it does not have to be repeated in full for every noun in the language. —Stephen ^(Talk) 14:59, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Relationship to hooghan

Is this term related to hooghan, and can it also mean "hogan" in addition to "home," "dwelling," etc.? 71.66.97.228 03:41, 26 October 2010 (UTC)

Yes, related, as the prefix ho- is similar to bi-. Ho- is a deictic "space" impersonal subject pronoun. Hogan is an English word used to express this particular Navajo construction in opposition to American houses. The Navajo do not use it to distinguish traditional Navajo homes from American homes, so, although they refer to a hogan as hooghan, bighan, shighan, etc., they also use those words for American-style houses. So, no, hooghan does not mean hogans specifically, but dwellings/homes/abodes in general. —Stephen ^(Talk) 15:13, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Thank you; is there a specific Navajo term used for hogans? 71.66.97.228 18:30, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

No, hogans are an English word that means a one-room Navajo house. Hooghan means house and includes traditional Navajo hogans as well as modern houses. Just as English speaks of the "Native American flute", Navajo merely calls it a flute, and to a Navajo a house is a house. There are no special words for Navajos houses versus American houses. —Stephen ^(Talk) 19:39, 10 December 2010 (UTC)