-ą́

From Proto-Athabaskan *(h)eˑ. Cognate with Ahtna -e.

• IPA^(key): /æ̃́/

-ą́

1. Forms negative verbs

   ‎tr'obaɬ (“we swim”) + ‎-ą́ → ‎tr'othbalą́ (“we do not swim”)

2. Forms stative/dimensional verbs with a sense of "small," "lesser," "poorly."

   ditlwgą́ ― it is cheap

   dits'agą́ ― it is narrow

   deltlwgą́ ― it is fragile, brittle

3. unable to, performing badly

   ch'edelik tr'edoxwdaldeną́ ― he/she sings poorly, mis-sings the song

   tr'o'estlagą́ ― I did badly

• The prefix dh-/th- is paired with this suffix to form imperfective negatives. It is paired with i- to form perfective negatives.
• This suffix has a higher tone in the Minto-Nenana dialect than in the Toklat-Bearpaw and Chena dialects.
• Stem-final voiceless consonants are voiced when followed by this suffix.

• Kari, James et al. (2024), Kari, James, editor, Lower Tanana Dene Dictionary, Fairbanks, Alaska: Alaska Native Language Center, →ISBN, page 21