dighááh

Navajo

Etymology

di- (inceptive) + -∅- (3rd person subject prefix) +

• ∅- (classifier) + -ááh (imperfective stem of root -YÁ, “to go, to walk — 1 actor”)
• ∅- (classifier) + -ʼaash (imperfective stem of root -ʼÁÁZH, “to go, to walk — 2 actors”)
• d- (classifier) + -kááh (imperfective stem of root -KAI, “to go, to walk — 3 actors”)

Verb

dighááh

1. (in all modes except in the perfective) he/she starts to go; (in the perfective) he/she has started to go, is about to go, intends to go, is on the way to.

   Biiʼndaʼaʼnéhégóó deetʼáázh. ― He and I are going to the gym.

   Wááshindoongóó déyá ― I’m going to Washington.

   Naʼnízhoozhígóó deekai ― We’re about to go to Gallup.

   Hoozdohgóósh dishooʼáázh? ― Are you two going to Phoenix?

2. (with chʼééh) (imperf.) he/she is getting tired; (perf.) he/she is tired.

   Chʼééh deeyá. ― Heʼs tired.

   Chʼééh dishááh. ― I'm getting tired.

3. (with bikʼi-) he/she quits it, gives it up, discontinues it

   Anáhoʼniiłtį́įhgo biniinaa náháshgodę́ę bikʼinídíshdááh. ― I stop hoeing again and again because it keeps starting to rain.

Usage notes

Like all go-verbs, this verb uses three different roots for 1 subject going alone, 2 subjects going in a pair, and 3+ subjects going in a group. All three roots can be conjugated in all 3 numbers (singular, duoplural, distributive plural), with practical different meanings. See chʼéghááh, chʼéʼaash, chʼékááh for further details.

Conjugation

Paradigm: Momentaneous (∅/si).

IMPERFECTIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	dishááh	diitʼaash	diikááh
2nd person	dínááh	dohʼaash	dohkááh
3rd person	dighááh	diʼaash	dikááh
4th person	jidighááh	jidiʼaash	jidikááh

PERFECTIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	déyá	deetʼáázh	deekai
2nd person	díníyá	dishooʼáázh	disoohkai
3rd person	deeyá	deezhʼáázh	deeskai
4th person	jideeyá	jideezhʼáázh	jideeskai

FUTURE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	dideeshááł	didiitʼash	didiikah
2nd person	didíínááł	didoohʼash	didoohkah
3rd person	didoogááł	didooʼash	didookah
4th person	jididoogááł	jididooʼash	jididookah