-NAʼ
Navajo
Alternative forms
Etymology 1
From Proto-Athabaskan *na (“to live, to move, to work”). Related to -NÁÁʼ (“to move”) and to -NÁÁD (“to last”). Maybe originating in several distinct roots.
Cognate root found in Ahtna ghetnaa (“he is working”), Chipewyan ɣɛna (“he is alive”), Carrier nelnaʼ (“to be slow, sluggish”).
Root
-NAʼ
1. to live
| Theme | Category | Bases | Transitive bases (O + ł) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| hi + ∅ | adjectival |
S is alive
|
|||||
| hi + ∅ |
S comes to life
|
S brings O to life, generates O
|
2. to last, to endure (supplies)
| Theme | Category | Bases | Transitive bases (O + ł) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| di + ∅ | operative | S lasts |
3. to act slowly
| Theme | Category | Bases | Transitive bases (O + ł) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| di + l | motion? | S acts slowly
|
Stem set
| Aspect | Imperfective | Perfective | Future | Iterative | Optative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Momentaneous | -naah | -naʼ | -naah | -naał | -naah |
| DUR / CONT | -naʼ | -naʼ | -naah | -naał | -naʼ |
| Neuter | -ná | — | — | — | — |
See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Category:Navajo terms belonging to the root -NAʼ (act slowly)
Etymology 2
From Proto-Athabaskan *nə̓q’ (“to swallow”).
Cognate root found in Ahtna itełnaʼ (“he swallowed it”).
Root
-NAʼ
- to swallow, to regurgitate, to choke
| Theme | Category | Bases | Transitive bases (O + ł) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O + ł | motion |
S swallows
|
|||||
| ni + l | ? |
S chokes
|
Stem set
| Aspect | Imperfective | Perfective | Future | Iterative | Optative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUR / CONT | -naʼ | -naʼ | -naah | -naał | -naʼ |
See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Category:Navajo terms belonging to the root -NAʼ (swallow)
Etymology 3
From Proto-Athabaskan *nəɢ, with a wide semantic range including “a flat flexible object (as sheets) moves”, “to last, to endure, to become tired”.
Compare with -NAʼ above for the meaning "to last, to endure".
Cognate root found in Ahtna nak (“a fabric-like object moves independently”).
Root
-NAʼ
1. FFO moves, falls (blanket, surface of water)
| Theme | Category | Bases | Transitive bases (O + ł) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ∅ | motion |
FFO moves
|
|||||
| ∅ | successive |
FFO flaps, bounces
|
|||||
| di + ł | ? |
S infects P
|
|||||
| ni + ł | motion? |
S lasts, runs out; S wilts, tires out
|
| Theme | Category | Bases | Transitive bases (O + ł) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| d | motion |
S crawls |
S stands O up
|
Stem set
| Aspect | Imperfective | Perfective | Future | Iterative | Optative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Momentaneous | -nééh | -naʼ | -nah | -nah | -nééh |
| Continuative | -nah | -naʼ | -nah | -nah | -nah |
| Continuative | -naʼ | -naʼ | -nah | -nah | -nééh |
| DUR | -nah | — | — | — | — |
| Semelfactive | -nah | -nah | -nah | -nah | -nah |
See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.
Synonyms
to crawl, to creep:
to wilt:
to last, to endure:
- -NAʼ (live)
to run out, to exhaust: