Origin of Language
The Dine language is a sacred language. As it is a sacred language, translation from one meaning to a specific English word is never possible therefore making it difficult to create a precise English translation. At times there are no real words to explain the Dine viewpoint because, Dine believe that our thoughts and behaviors are manifestations of an inner wind. It is from this holy and sacred wind that language originates. One must first think then speak with reverence with all that is around for words have power. They have the power to heal and the power to inflict harm. Wind, "Nilch'ih," is of the sacred essence, it gives us life, it connects us with the universe and provides life to all things. As we are born, wind enters our body. It travels within us from the bottom of our toes and out from our head, through one set of fingertips and out the other, leaving its spiritual prints of life behind. As wind exits it leaves a print behind upon our fingertips, our footprints and a spiral upon our head. These are the marks of wind, of life.
Through wind, we were given our language. Holy wind informed Dark Wind, Blue Wind, Yellow Wind, White Wind and Glossy Wind that they would live in the folds of the ear and they would be able to speak to one another this way. It is through the direction of Holy Wind and the formation of wind that speech is possible and language is spoken. It is through our language that our culture is taught, respected and identified. Our sacred language is what the Dine use to communicate to mother earth and father sky, to all that is living in nature and the universe. Though wind is not seen, it is in our thoughts and through our thought we form words.
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