łigai

See also: ligai

Navajo

Etymology

łi- (adjectival) + -∅- (ni-modal 3rd person subject prefix) + -∅- (classifier) + -gai (neuter imperfective stem of root -GAII, “to be white”).

Compare Dogrib degoo, Ahtna lggeyi.

The łi- prefix appears to have originated historically from the -ł- classifier. When this prefix appears immediately in pre-stem position, it takes the shape of a -l- classifier.

Pronunciation

• Audio (NV)

  (file)

Verb

łigai

1. it is white.

   Shash łigai ― The (one or two) bear is white.

   Shash daalgai ― The (three or more) bears are white.

Usage notes

This is a neuter verb. As such, it has only the imperfective stem.

Conjugation

Paradigm: Neuter imperfective (ni).

IMPERFECTIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	łinishgai	łiniigai	dałiniigai
2nd person	łinígai	łinohgai	dałinohgai
3rd person	łigai		daalgai
4th person	jilgai		dajilgai

Derived terms

• dinilgai (“off-white”)
• łééchąąłgaii

See also

• dlǫ́ʼiiłgaii

Colors in Navajo · nidaashchʼąąʼígíí (layout · text)

łigai	łibá (dark gray: dinilzhin)	łizhin
łichííʼ	łichxíʼí (light orange: diniltsxo); dibéłchíʼí, yishtłizh (dark brown: dinilzhin)	łitso (light yellow: diniltso); dinilgai
	dinooltłʼizh, chʼilgo dootłʼizh
dootłʼizhii	yágo dootłʼizh	dootłʼizh
diłhiłgo dootłʼizh	tsédídéehgo dootłʼizh	dinilchííʼ

Western Apache

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɬɪ́kài]

Noun

łigai

1. white

Verb

łigai

1. be white

References

• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.