-NISH

Etymology

From Proto-Athabaskan *nəš-x (to move quickly).

Cognate root found in Chipewyan násnís (I move quickly), Northern Tutchone naɣadəlniš (he is working).

Root

-NISH

  1. to work
Theme Category Bases Transitive bases (O + ł)
l motion

S works

  • dilníísh (∅-MOM)
  • ńdínílníísh (good start)
  • ńdiilníísh (“start”)
  • tádílníísh
  • chʼélníísh (ni-MOM)
  • niilníísh
  • naalnish (CONT)
yinaalnish
  • yilnish (PROG)
ʼa + ∅ motion

work is done

Stem set

Aspect Imperfective Perfective Future Iterative Optative
Momentaneous -níísh -nish -nish -nish -níísh
Continuative -nish -nish -nish -nish -nish

See also Appendix: Roots and stems derivation.

Derived terms

Navajo terms belonging to the root -NISH (work)

References

  • Young, Robert; Morgan, William; Midgette, Sally (1992), Analytical lexicon of Navajo, Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, →ISBN, page 445