naʼazhǫǫsh

Navajo

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

From the name of the hoop-and-pole game, so called because the birch wood was used in the construction of the pole for the once popular hoop-and-pole game,[1] which often involved betting on the winners.

Noun

naʼazhǫǫsh

1. (botany) birch (Betula utahensis, Betula occidentalis)

Synonyms

• kʼishchííʼ

Etymology 2

na- (“round about”) + ʼa- (“something, someone”, 3rd person indefinite objective-subject pronoun) + -zhǫǫsh (“to play the hoop-and-pole game”, imperfective stem). Compare Chipewyan thųth (“spear”)

Noun

naʼazhǫǫsh

1. (games) the hoop-and-pole game
2. the pole used in the hoop-and-pole game
3. casino

Derived terms

• Naʼazhǫǫsh hahoodzo (“Nevada”)
• Naʼazhǫǫsh Hatsoh (“Las Vegas”)