Hogan

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhoʊ.ɡən/

Definitions

1. A traditional dwelling of the Navajo people, often built with logs and earth, that embodies cultural identity and provides shelter
2. An architectural structure common among the Navajo, typically circular and incorporating natural materials, that serves as a home and cultural representation
3. A round structure made from natural materials, traditionally used by the Navajo for living and cultural practices, serving both as a home and a symbol of community heritage

Etymology: The English word comes straight from Navajo, the language of the people who built these dwellings. In Navajo, "hooghan" means something close to "dwelling" or "house," and English speakers took the term over to name the traditional structure itself. Because the word is a direct loan rather than a translation, it keeps the sense it had in its home language: a home first, and a building type only in the English sense that outsiders later applied to it. Hogans are typically built with logs and packed earth, and their shape and orientation carry cultural meaning, which is why the English word has come to name more than a shelter. The term was borrowed to describe a specific Navajo form of home, so when English speakers use it, they are naming a particular cultural architecture rather than any rough cabin.