Metaphor, Mythology, and a Navajo Verb: The Role of Cultural Constructs in the Lexicography of Endangered Languages

This article focuses on multiple lexical entries for one Navajo classificatory verb, arguing that many of its subentries are polysemous, rather than unrelated homophones. It is suggested that the connection between them is based on metaphor and conventionalized cultural knowledge (mythology and cosmology). The documentation of such metaphorical connections is crucial not only for making sense of the uses of this verb stem but also for what it tells us about Navajo culture.