Talk:neeshchʼííʼ

Also meaning "nut"?

Can this also be the default term for "nut" (any kind of nut), as the term for "almond" is derived from this term? 71.66.97.228 02:13, 12 January 2010 (UTC)

It can be used for nuts in general, but not for a particular kind of nut other than a pine nut. Each kind of nut needs a different word. —Stephen ^(Talk) 18:54, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Is there a generic word meaning "nut"? 71.66.97.228 19:04, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Not exactly like the English. Many languages do not have an equivalent of the English word nut. French noix means walnut, but is sometimes forced into a square hole to make it mean nut as in English. The closest to a generic term is neeshchʼííʼ, which can be nuts in general, but you can’t call any particular kind of nut a neeshchʼííʼ unless it’s a pine nut. —Stephen ^(Talk) 19:32, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Thank you; I have tried to make that clear in the entry. Perhaps a section "Usage notes" would be better. 71.66.97.228 21:30, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

No need to say that a term is not exactly equivalent to an English word, because no Navajo word has an exact equivalent in English. Few words in any language have exact equivalents in other languages. Some words tend to have closer equivalents, while other words such as nut only have hyponyms or hypernyms in other languages. —Stephen ^(Talk) 08:05, 11 December 2010 (UTC)